Jedi Kasumi
by The Altered Destinies
Summary: A meteor lands just after Soun and Genma have sealed Happosai away. It's an escape capsule containing a Jedi Knight called Trieste. Soun offers her the hospitality of his home, and upon seeing the Tendo daughters, it's immediately obvious that the Force is very strong in the eldest. Later comes a Panda and a redheaded girl. Trieste immediately senses something about the girl, and a
1. Chapter 1

Jedi Kasumi

Ranma 1/2: The Fandom Menace!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Standard disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi created Ranma while the concept of the Jedi Knight was pioneered by George Lucas;  
All Rights are reserved to the proper owners of said trademarks)

Tendo Soun and Saotome Genma clapped hands in prayer for the soul of their not-  
so beloved master, whom they had just gotten drunk, tied up with cords of rope and buried in a cave with a huge boulder that was bound by Ofuda prayer-strips, all in the hopes of ridding themselves of his evil and perverted presence. The prayer they offered was more to the Kami that they be spared ever having to face their Master's wrath should he somehow manage to survive the dynamite they had strapped him to, though to date nothing else that they had tried had so much as scratched the hide of their wicked Sensei.

As they turned away from the makeshift burial place, Genma heaved a sigh of relief and clapped his friend on the shoulder saying, "Well, Tendo-kun...it's finally over."

"Yes, Saotome," Soun breathed, "At last we can finally turn our backs on that evil creature and return to our families. I miss my wife so much, and it's been so long since I've seen my little girls..."

"Indeed, Tendo-kun," Genma sighed, "And I've actually missed spending time with my son. There's no telling what nonsense his mother has been filling his head with all this time. I may have to take the boy under my wing and teach him to be a proper martial artist..."

"Yes," Soun agreed, "So he can one day marry one of my little girls and unite our families, just as we promised."

Genma beamed brightly and replied, "It will be a good day when that happens, and once the two halves of our school are made whole again..."

"Then we can truly put behind us the horror that was our lives under the Master," Tendo agreed, when all of a sudden both men looked up, seeing a bright light appear in the sky, falling rapidly towards them as if a meteor were plummeting from the heavens.

"What in the...?" Soun started to say when the object suddenly veered off at a sharp angle and went rocketing into the side of a nearby mountain. Just moments before it hit an object shot out from its side, heading for the ground at a more leisurely rate before the explosion caused a massive shockwave that picked both men up off their heels and sent them tumbling like straws before a hurricane.

Moments later when the world stopped ringing in his ears, Soun forced his battered body to move as he heard groaning close to where he lay. In a halting voice he asked, "Saotome?"

"Did someone get the license number of that truck?" his old friend complained in a voice that conveyed as much misery as a drunken hangover.

Soun forced himself to stand, finding his martial arts gi was smudged torn in places, but that he seemed to be otherwise all right. The same proved true of Genma, who sat upright and adjusted his glasses before looking around at the devastation in the forest. He got to his feet a moment later and said, "What do you suppose happened? It looks like someone set off a Nuke..."

"Then why aren't we dead?" Soun glanced around to regain his bearings, then headed off in a set direction, calling back over his shoulder, "This way...I think I saw an escape capsule or something. The pilot might be alive and in need of our help."

"Are you sure that's wise, Tendo-kun?" Genma asked, "The authorities must know about this, and they could be here at any second..."

"That might be too late if the pilot is injured," Tendo insisted, "And it's our duty as martial artists to assist in any way that we can. To do anything less would make us no better than the Master!"

Whatever protests Genma might have said about that moment died unspoken on his tongue, for the most horrifying prospect that he could imagine would be to turn out just like the Master! Instead he followed after his friend and fellow student and within a matter of minutes came upon an open space with a sizeable crater, in the middle of which was an egg-shaped object that clearly did not appear to be of natural origin.

"What do you think it is, Saotome?" Soun asked as the two men cautiously approached the alien object.

"I don't know, Tendo-kun," Genma replied nervously, "Do you think it might be something the American Military or the home defense force might have created?"

"It's possible, I suppose, but..." Soun started to reply when both men tensed, hearing the hiss of a hatch opening on one side of the object, and then a figure emerged, obscured by a large brown cloak that it was wearing as it took a hesitant step while emerging from the capsule.

"Ah..." Soun said hesitantly, drawing a glance from the hood of the figure, "Hello...are you all right?"

"Maybe he doesn't understand Japanese," Genma murmured from one side.

"A possibility, Saotome," Soun murmured, then he spoke again in hesitant English, "[Excuse me...are you all right? That was a nasty fall you took...]"

The figure hesitantly lifted slim hands, then slowly pulled the cloak back to reveal a face that-while definitely not Japanese-was fairly attractive and quite definitely human.

"Ah..." Soun's mind suddenly became as blank as his expression as piercing grey eyes focused upon him, almost seeming to read him at a glance before turning their focus towards Genma, and narrowing by a fraction.

"She does look foreign," Genma noted cautiously, "But that doesn't look like a military uniform she's wearing."

"Definitely not," Soun murmured faintly, then again he said, "Do you understand Japanese or English? Where are you from? Are you hurt in any way?"

The woman reached into her voluminous robe and pulled out what appeared to be a kind of headset, which same she placed over her ears before lowering a one-lens visor, then tapping on this com-set before she spoke a few words that sounded definitely foreign.

To the surprise of both men her words became clearly understandable as she asked, "Forgive me for startling you...but what system are we in?"

"System?" Soun asked with blank expression back in place.

"What is the name of your planet?" she asked again, her gaze oddly unfocused as she scanned the nearby woodland.

"Ah...we call it Earth," Genma replied, being slightly quicker to catch on than his companion, "You're...not from around here?"

"No," she said in a tired voice, "I am very far away fro0m home...and my ship was damaged entering your atmosphere. Is there someplace where I can rest and get my bearings?"

"Uh..." Soun hesitated then said, "You could...come to my place and stay for a night, I suppose. It's not much to offer, but I'm sure my wife would understand..."

"Better yours than mine, Tendo-kun," Genma murmured in his ear, then fell silent again as the grey eyes of the woman fell upon him.

"Um..." Tendo faltered before saying, "We had better go...someone is bound to come looking for your ship..."

"Yes," the woman started forward, only to stagger for a moment before putting a hand to her side and hesitating, her face as pale as the moonlight.

"You're hurt," Soun said as he moved up to offer her his arm, "Let me help you."

"Thank you," she replied, "You are most kind."

Genma watched as his best friend picked up the woman and began to carry her away from the capsule, caught by a moment of indecision on whether to help or to flee, unnerved by something in the gaze of that woman that seemed to read him like a Manga. He took a last glance at the capsule, noting its alien markings and obviously foreign technology, then shook his weary head and said, "I have a very bad feeling about this..."

"So, your name is Trieste?" asked Tendo Kimiko, "And my husband saw you crash out in the woods and offered to help you out?"

"Yes," the strange woman named Trieste replied, "Your husband was most kind. I believe I might not have made it on my own if he and his friend had not happened by when they did to offer me assistance."

"And...where exactly are you from?" Kimiko asked this strange woman, whom she felt an odd liking towards from the moment they had made eye contact.

"No place that you would have heard of," the woman replied, "It was a very long distance away from here, and I don't recognize any of the local constellations. I don't have any money to pay you with, but if there is any way that I can make up for your troubles..."

"Not at all," Kimiko smiled, "You're our guest. Stay as long as you like until you've got your feet back under you. Do you have any way of contacting your relatives and letting them know where you are?"

"I don't think so," the woman named Trieste said reluctantly, "I believe I may be all alone now...no family to speak of, certainly no one who can help me."

"Can you tell us what happened to your...was it a plane or a jet craft?" Tendo wondered.

"All I can tell you," the woman said with an odd smile, "Is that I was in a battle and my ship was damaged. I was forced to take emergency measures when I found myself drifting towards a wormhole. The next thing I know I'm in your part of the galaxy, lost and without my bearings. I was forced to make an emergency landing as your planet was the nearest inhabited system that I could reach..."

"Er...right," Soun stared at the woman blankly, wondering if she was pulling his leg or if she actually meant what she was saying.

Just then three little girls came into the room, the oldest staring at the stranger with very rounded eyes. For some reason Trieste turned and took notice of this child before she swept her gaze and saw the other two hanging by her sides with equally curious faces.

"Ah," Kimiko brightened, "My daughters, Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane. Dears, I'd like to introduce you to our houseguest, Trieste. What do you say to her, children?"

All three girls straightened up and bowed to Trieste, saying in mismatched chorus, "Konichiwa, Trieste-san."

"My, what well-behaved little girls," Trieste said with a pleasant smile as she got to her feet and returned the bow, then winced as she put a hand to her side and sat down with Kimiko's assistance.

"Kasumi is my oldest," Tendo said proudly as he touched the shoulder of his eldest daughter, "She's nine years of age. Nabiki, who is seven, and Akane, who is six..."

"You have funny eyes," Nabiki spoke up as if on impulse.

"That's 'cause she's foreign, dummy," Akane bumped hips with her older sister, which earned from her a scowl from Nabiki's direction.

"I know that!" Nabiki barked, "What I meant was her eyes...doncha see? They're not focused on us, she's looking all around us!"

"That I am, little one," Trieste replied when she saw the oldest girl approach her hesitantly, "You must be Kasumi. Your father sounds very proud of you, little one."

Kasumi gave a shy lowering of her eyes before her gaze turned to look at something that was hanging from Trieste's belt. Her brown eyes got very wide as she noticed this, then she looked up at the alien woman and asked, "Are you an angel?"

"What makes you ask that?" Trieste replied with a lifting of eyebrows.

"Daddy says that Angels are beings of light who dwell among the heavens with the Kami," Kasumi replied, "He also says that they're very pretty, like you are..."

Trieste smiled down at the open-eyed little girl and ran a hand through Kasumi's brown hair then said, "No, little one, I'm not an angel...at least not yet, and I'm not one of your...kami either. I'm quite human, just like you. Tell me what it is you see that makes you say such nice things about me?"

"Kasumi stared up at the woman and for a moment her eyes became unfocused, "I see stars...and I see a big boat that flies through them, and you're on it. You've got a piece of light in your hands, and you're fighting against somebody dark and nasty."

"He is a Sith Lord," Trieste said gravely, "But you need not fear him, he's very far away from here. What else do you see?"

"You're a warrior," Kasumi replied, astonishing her parents, "But from a long time ago...in a galaxy far, far away..."

"Excuse her," Soun stepped forward, "Children say such nonsense..."

Trieste made a hand gesture and suddenly Soun froze where he stood. Without taking her eyes off of Kasumi the strange woman said, "Children can also be the source of great wisdom, if you but listen to what they truly tell us. Your daughter is very special...I can feel the Force speaking within her. Luminous beings are we, and she is more luminous than many others I have encountered."

She turned her eyes away from Kasumi to glance at the other two children, then said softly, "I sense great potential in your middle child...the Force is strong in all three children, but in her it speaks with intelligence and vision. Your youngest has strong passions but not as much wisdom...but I think that I could work with all three, if you would let me."

"You're a teacher?" Kimiko asked in mild astonishment.

"I've been a teacher, on occasion," Trieste said with a hint of sadness in her voice, "I can only take one of them on as my apprentice, but the other two can be guided on the path of their destiny, if you will permit me to lend them my counsel."

"If you want to help out," Soun said, "I have a dojo where I teach martial arts. I haven't been using it much of late due to..." he coughed politely, "An extended training mission that I was engaged with by my Master, still..."

"If I can repay you for your kindness, then I will gladly teach what I am able to share with your students," Trieste replied, "You are a warrior who teaches other warriors the path of self-defense, and that is an honorable thing. I would be honored to assist you, but I must reserve the core of my teaching for the one who is most worthy."

And she turned her gaze towards Kasumi, who stared back at the strange woman with a puzzled expression, not fearful, but very hopeful...

"Well, Tendo?" Genma asked as he waited out by the dojo, "Is she staying or not?"

"Why are you so concerned?" Soun asked his longtime friend and fellow student, "You don't think I made a mistake bringing her here to you? I really don't think she's a foreign agent or..."

"It's not that, Tendo-kun," Genma adjusted his glasses and stood up, "There's just...something about her that disturbs me. Can't you feel it when she's in the same room? It's like there's a power that surrounds her, a...Force of some kind. She's not an ordinary human being like you or me..."

"Perhaps not," Soun replied, "But would you rather we turn her over to the authorities? She's not threatened us in any way, and she's even offered to help me out in running the dojo. I could use the help getting things going once again, now that I no longer have to worry about the Master dragging me off on yet another of his training missions."

"Maybe so," Genma sighed, "It's your house, you can invite anyone you want. I only know that I need to get back home and look after my own family. It's time I taught my son the true meaning of what it is to be a Martial Artist, and to empty his head of any nonsense he might have picked up from being around his mother."

"Take care then, old friend," Soun urged, "And remember...in ten years we meet again and bring our children together."

"It's a promise, Tendo," Genma clasped hands with the other man, then he headed out into the night, intending to make what progress he could on foot before finding his way home to his son, and Nodoka...

"Tell me if this hurts," Tofu said as he pressed two fingers against the side of his patient.

Trieste gasped but managed to control her reactions. Tofu could read by her expression that the woman was in sharp pain, so he removed his stethoscope from his ears and said, "It's what I thought...you sustained serious injuries during your accident. There's no internal bleeding, but your kidneys on this side were also ruptured. I think you need more serious attention than I can provide you in my clinic..."

"Thank you, Doctor," Trieste smiled at the earnest young man, sensing within this fellow a strong empathy that made him admirably suited to his profession, "But I know of other therapies that can help my body regenerate the damage. You are knowledgeable in pressure-point healing?"

"I learned my craft from my father," Tofu replied, "But your condition is more serious than I know how to treat even using alternative methods..."

"My methods will suffice," the woman assured him gently, "Far more than the primitive medicine that is practiced on this world. I will teach you what you need to know, and perhaps a bit more, if you would not mind me helping out sometime, along with my new apprentice."

Tofu had wondered at the presence of the oldest of three Tendo girls who had so recently become his patients. Young Kasumi had been an earnest and quiet child, far more mild mannered than either of her younger siblings. It was surprising to hear that she was receiving special training from this strange woman, yet there was something about her calm and thoughtful manner that reminded him powerfully of his father. He decided he could trust her and consented to allow her to teach him her healing methods...

"I'm sorry," Doctor Yuan said sadly to the anxious family waiting patiently in his office, "The tests came back positive. I'm afraid there's not much we can do about the cancer."

"No...!" eight year old Nabiki gasped, not wanting it to be true, but a gentle hand upon her shoulder held her in hr place and filled her with a calming presence, while her father looked on with eyes that had already begun to water.

"Doctor...are you sure there is nothing that can be done?" Soun asked, seeing the sad denial in the other man's features.

"Not for a condition this advanced," he replied, "We have therapies that can prolong your wife's time, but they're expensive and the results won't be any different. Frankly I'm amazed that you were able to discover the growth in her Cervix this early...usually we only found out about these things by radiometric scans and biopsies..."

"What's wrong?" asked seven-year-old Akane, looking from her father to her two sisters and seeing hope be replaced by despair, which she naturally did not know how to interpret as the words everyone was using were beyond her limited understanding, "Mommy's gonna be all right, isn't she?"

"How long does mother have?" Kasumi asked with calm resignation.

"Another year...maybe a few months," the Doctor said sadly, only to be startled when a calm voice contradicted him and said, "Nonsense."

"I beg your pardon?" asked the doctor.

"We came to you because Tofu-Sensei said that you were highly recommended," Trieste replied in her soothing, no-nonsense tone of voice, "But it is clear to me that you operate within the limits of your technology, and this is not acceptable by a long measure. Kimiko-chan is my friend, and I will not permit her to pass on this way, not in the agony that she will suffer whether the cancer eats her from within or she is poisoned to death by the toxins you would feed her."

"Now see here..." the Doctor started to protest when the woman waved a hand and spoke to him with unusual intensity.

"It's not your fault, you are a good man who can only do so much with what you are given," she said with clear enunciation, "But it is time for you to open your mind to other possibilities, and for that I can help you."

"Help me?" Doctor Yuan asked, his gaze slightly unfocused.

"What are you saying?" Tendo glanced at the woman whom he now counted as a close family friend and trusted colleague, "Can you help save my wife?"

"I most certainly will do my best to see to it that she survives," Trieste assured him, "Cancer is known among my people, but we also know many ways in which it can be treated. I can recommend a simple formula that can be produced with your technology. It is easy to manufacture and cheap to administer, but it starves cancer cells of their ability to draw nutrients from the bloodstream while helping the body to metabolize food better."

"Then by all means do it!" Soun urged, "Help to save my poor Kimiko and I'll owe you anything, any favor you might ask..."

"Your friendship is enough for now," Trieste assured him, ruffling her hand through Kasumi's hair before she added, "But I would request more time that I may spend with Kasumi. She is showing great promise with the Force, and I believe she will in time become a powerful Jedi."

"Kasumi?" Soun asked, seeing confirmation in the brown eyes of his eldest.

"I want to learn what she can teach me, Father," Kasumi replied, "I've already learned so much..."

"Very well," Soun nodded, touching his daughter on the shoulder, "You may continue to teach her whatever you will, and with my blessings."

"Hey, what about us?" Nabiki asked.

"Aren't we gonna learn to be like you too?" Akane added.

Trieste smiled at the two young prodigies and said, "Your way lies elsewhere, but I will continue to teach you what I think you will profit the most from. Be patient, time is with you, and the Force will be with you always. Now, attend to me, young man, and I will explain to you how you may devise a formula for Hydrazine Sulfate..."

Ten Years Later...

"Well?" Akane asked with an earnest expression of hope in her eyes while waiting for the verdict of Kasumi.

Her eldest sister managed to restrain her reaction to a mere wince, but when she turned her expression towards Akane her tone was as kindly as always as she said, "You are improving...but you need to watch your ingredients better, and not let the food overcook..."

Nabiki shook her head and said, "Forget it, Kasumi...you might as well face the fact that Akane's cooking is possessed by the Dark Side of the Force."

"Shut up, Nabiki," Akane snapped, before controlling her temper, seeing the disapproving stare that Trieste turned towards her.

Kasumi stood where she was in her plain brown traveling robes and remarked to herself how much Akane and Nabiki had grown during the last year when she and her Sensei had been on the road traveling together. Kasumi's skills in a kitchen had often been a source of income when they needed money, so she knew she was qualified to judge Akane's latest effort as simply awful. Still her sister had put her heart into the effort, and with so much earnest feeling in her eyes it would have been hard not to be encouraging, even if she felt sadly that Akane's talents clearly lay in other directions.

"How are your academic skills, Akane?" Trieste asked the youngest of her three principle students.

"All right...I guess," Akane shifted nervously, then gave a warning glare at Nabiki, who was smiling at her with sisterly indulgence.

"Oh she does all right," Nabiki admitted, "When she devotes herself to her studies and not just the jock sports she's always into."

Akane's glare was cut short as she felt Trieste's mental nudge, reminding her that anger was a poor substitute for accepting one's limitations. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "So I like to keep in shape, is that a crime? There's more to life than just Martial Arts you know, or learning to do mind tricks."

"I can see that you have made progress in both areas of mind and body," Trieste remarked, "But you still have not conquered your fear, and you let anger cloud your judgement. The way of the Dark Side beckons to those who do not learn to be master of their emotions, not the slave to their primal feelings."

"Yes, Sensei," Akane conceded meekly, "I am trying..."

"My sister, the Jock," Nabiki smiled, sipping at her hot mug of tea as she added, "But Daddy's awfully proud of you and the way you won that trophy in the Ice Hockey tournaments. She's the best athlete in our school, even better than me, and that's even without using the Force to help her."

Akane brightened from this praise, now favoring Nabiki with a shining expression.

"And what about you, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked, "Are you still using your ability to see the future to help earn you an advantage?"

"Give me a little credit, Sis," Nabiki favored Kasumi with a sardonic expression, "I know the Force isn't to be used for self-enrichment. If I wanted to make money that way I could also sell the technology for making Light Sabers and earn a cool fortune. Of course that would also mean that other people would learn how to make them, and then we'd lose an important advantage."

"Very true," Trieste said with approval before turning to smile over her shoulder, seeing her smile returned by Soun and Kimiko, who watched all this from where they sat together at the other end of the living room.

"She's grown up so much," Kimiko remarked, "Kasumi's no longer a child..."

"Indeed," Soun replied, "Trieste-chan says that she is nearly ready to face her trials and be acknowledged a true Jedi. All three of our little girls are becoming beautiful ladies, and soon...soon one of them must be chosen to assume the title as heir to our dojo."

"You're thinking about your pledge to the Saotomes?" Kimiko asked, favoring her husband with a quietly probing expression.

In response Soun held up a post card that he had just found in the mail a short while ago and said, "Genma says he is bringing his son with him today. I can't wait to see how much the boy has grown while training with his father. Genma says that he is a great practitioner of the Martial Arts and will be a worthy heir of the Saotome school, fit to marry one of our daughters."

"Not Akane," Kimiko said gently, "She's still too young and needs to complete her education. She's also at the awkward stage where the last thing she needs to think about is..." Kimiko lowered her voice to a mere whisper and murmured in her husband's ear, "Boys."

"Oh?" Soun arched an eyebrow, "Perhaps you're right, though maybe we should let Genma's son decide. He's about Akane's age, and it's possible that they could work out well together."

"Perhaps," Kimiko said, "Although I think Nabiki might be a better choice. She's very practical minded and has a good sense with money. Kasumi would also be a wonderful selection, but she's a part time college student, while this Ranma must still be in high school."

The doorbell chose that moment to chime in announcement of an arrival, and Nabiki brightened as she hopped out of her chair and said, "Somebody expecting company? I hope it's that camera I ordered."

"Why don't I come with you?" Soun smiled as he got up to join his middle daughter in the hallway.

"What's with Dad?" Akane asked her mother, "He seems pretty excited about something."

"Oh, you know your father, Akane-chan," Kimiko smiled indulgently, "He never was able to hide his feelings from you three..."

All at once Kasumi and Trieste reacted to a throbbing sense of fear and peril, each stepping away into the middle of the room as twin Light Sabers flashed to life, one Blue, one Green, the latter in the hands of Trieste.

Akane knew that the two Jedi, Mistress and Apprentice, had picked up danger signals flashing their way from Nabiki, so she stepped away from the kitchen and took her place behind them, assuming a martial crouch and holding her fists at the ready, wishing she had time to go fetch her bokken.

Sure enough Nabiki came running back into the room, rolling underneath the two light sabers before regaining her footing on their opposite side, taking a flanking position in support of Kasumi. Their father merely backed away from a lumbering shape that followed him from the door, only to halt at the sight of the twin light beams.

"Lemme go!" a figure was struggling on the shoulder of a giant panda bear that was standing on two legs, "You're scaring them, Pop!"

Nabiki stretched out a hand as she saw a small girl being manhandled by the panda, allowing the Force to flow from her to the girl, then yanking back hard as if tugging on invisible strings and the girl went flying off the animal to land almost at the feet of the two Jedi. The panda blinked its eyes at this and stared at the empty space that was over its shoulder.

Akane drew back, intending to unleash her own pent-up energy when Trieste made a calming gesture and said, "Hold...this does not feel right. There is no hostility in this creature, just surprise and confusion."

"It's surprised?" Nabiki asked as the redheaded girl got to her feet, flipping her pig tail to one side and giving Nabiki the most amazed expression, then glancing to each side at both of the Light Sabers.

"I don't understand," Kimiko said as she stood to one side of her husband, "Is it going to attack?"

"Ah, he won't attack you," the girl said, keeping one eye on the light beams as she turned to the panda and said, "I hope you're proud of yourself, Pop! This is some way to make an entrance!"

Trieste deactivated her Light Saber, and Kasumi did likewise, following the example of her mentor. The elder Jedi Mistress gave a puzzled sweep of her gaze as she studied the bipedal creature, then in her usual calm voice she said, "How odd...I feel as though we have met before, me and this creature. And you, young...lady?" she asked the later point with a question.

"Guy," the redhead insisted, then glanced down as she added, "At least...most time."

"Are you...?" Soun asked hesitantly.

"I'm Saotome Ranma," the girl bowed to him, then added with regret, "Sorry about this."

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, "How very odd...I sense a dual nature about you."

"As do I," Trieste turned from the girl to the panda and said, "I suspect there is quite a story involved here. You are Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything Goes martial arts?"

"That's me," the redhead admitted.

"Excuse me," Soun remarked with what for him was remarkable calm, "But I thought my old friend had a son named Ranma..."

"I am his son," the girl insisted, nodding towards the panda, "And that's Pop. It's...kinda a long story."

"His son?" Kimiko asked with raised eyebrows.

"I don't believe this," Akane growled, "You're no more of a boy than I am!"

"This sounds like it'll be good," Nabiki remarked with her trademark sardonic smirk.

Ranma-chan flashed a glare at Akane and sulked a moment before she declared, "Somebody get me a pot of hot water and I can prove it."

"Do as he says," Trieste said calmly, and Kasumi at once went to fetch the kettle that had already been heated. She came over to Ranma and offered the kettle to the girl, only to look on in surprise as the redhead upended the kettle over his head, then handed it over to the outstretched paw of the panda.

"Oh my!" Kasumi covered her mouth in surprise as the girl's hair darkened and she took on almost a full head in height with appropriate changes of build and facial features.

"Ditto that," Nabiki breathed in amazement, her interest level increasing by the second.

The second surprise that made everyone but Trieste gasp came when the panda transformed into a burly man in a travel worn gi whose head was covered by a turban-like bandana and whose eyes were framed by a pair of wire-rim glasses.

"Genma, my old friend!" Soun remarked in amazement.

"How did you do that?" Kimiko asked in equal astonishment at seeing her husband's old friend revealed in such a manner.

"It's a long story," Genma sighed, "The boy and I are under an enchantment."

"Yeah," the boy in question said casually, "Only it's more like this weird Chinese curse that turns us into what you just saw. It's all gotta do with water..."

"Hot water turns you into a human," Kasumi said brightly, "So cold water..."

"Turns me into a girl and Pop into a Panda," Ranma finished for her, giving each of the girls in turn a puzzled expression. It suddenly occurred to her that the "long stories" went both ways, and he was very eager to learn how what felt like invisible fingers had pulled him away from his father...

"Are you ready?" Nabiki asked as she raised her hand, then brought it down with a decisive, "Begin!"

Ranma stood relaxed and at ease, not even bothering to assume a fighting crouch. His casualness angered Akane, who had assumed a fighting crouch of her own, expecting him to do likewise.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "Why don't you attack me?"

"I don't hit girls," Ranma said, "But if you want to attack, feel free to try."

"Akane doesn't try," Trieste said casually from where she sat as Nabiki took her seat alongside the others in the family dojo, "You either do or you don't in this school."

"All right," Akane growled, "But you asked for this, jerk!"

Akane launched into a powerful throw that would have caught an ordinary opponent flatfooted, only Ranma turned his body to one side and easily avoided the punch, as he did the follow-up attack and the spinning kick that she aimed at where he had been standing.

"He's very good," Soun remarked, "So quick and agile..."

"Yes, but he's making a terrible mistake with Akane," Kimiko observed, "If he doesn't take this fight seriously she's bound to start using her special attacks against him."

"It should be interesting either way," Trieste remarked, not turning her head as she added, "You must be very proud of your son, Saotome. He had good command of his reflexes, and his intuition is as sharp as his control over his internal power."

"That's my boy," Genma said with puffed up pride, "He's the best at everything that I've so far managed to teach him. He won't hurt your little girl, Tendo-  
san, but he won't take her seriously unless she starts to give him a good workout."

"That won't be very long in coming," Kasumi predicted, and sure enough Akane got tired of chasing the boy around the dojo and decided to raise her combat style to the next level.

All at once her body became a blur of motion, and before Ranma even had time to blink he felt himself being pummeled by a dozen powerful blows, each of which battered him around like a leaf in the wind as the final blow knocked him sprawling.

To everyone's amazement he easily shrugged off the attack and regained his footing, this time assuming a defensive stance as he said, "How did you do that?"

"What, this?" Akane asked sweetly, and all at once she became a blur again, striking at the astonished boy before he had time to redirect his guard where she was hitting.

Ranma shrugged off the attack, though, and this time instinctively launched a counter-attack that forced Akane to back away to the opposite corner of the dojo. Ranma was just starting to get his bearings, though, when he saw the girl cup her hands together and draw them into herself before pushing them forward, and all at once a wave of force struck him bodily and sent him flying to the opposite end of the dojo.

"What...?" Genma gasped, only to hear Kimiko sigh, "I warned him..."

"How'd you do that?" Ranma asked, giving a new look of respect to his opponent.

"You really want to know?" Akane grinned, already drawing back for a second thrust in his direction.

Unlike the first one, though, Ranma moved before she could, and suddenly she was forced to raise her arms to ward him off as he rushed towards her, only to vault over her head as the boy tumbled in mid-air and nimbly landed behind her, stretching out to touch his fingers to the back of Akane's shoulders.

Akane slowly turned around and looked at him as Ranma smiled at her with a boyish expression. His smile became infectious as she smiled back his way, then both of them relaxed by a measured fraction as the tension in the air subsided.

"You're pretty good," Ranma said, "For a girl."

"You're not so bad yourself," Akane gave him a fierce little smile as she added, "For a boy."

"I'm impressed," Nabiki remarked, "He actually got the better of Akane."

"But only because she was careless," Trieste noted, "Perhaps you should take your turn in sparring with our young Saotome-san."

"Sure thing, Sensei," Nabiki replied, already on her feet and exchanging places with Akane. She nodded to Ranma and said in a friendly fashion, extending one hand, "Hi, I'm Nabiki."

"Uh...hi yourself," Ranma said as he accepted the handshake, only to find himself flipped around as the shorthaired girl used an Aikido throw on him, but rather than go down he reacted in mid-tumble and reverse the throw, turning the tables on her as Nabiki was the one who next went flying.

Both teenagers tumbled in mid-air, only Nabiki righted herself with incredible ease as if gravity momentarily lost its grip upon her, then she launched a roundhouse kick that connected when Ranma landed in the spot the kick was about to occupy one instant before impact. The kick was powerful enough to tumble him around in mid-air, but Ranma recovered instantly, and the two teenagers then went at it in earnest.

"Well now," Kasumi remarked, "He seems to have fewer reservations about fighting Nabiki."

"That's 'cause Oneechan doesn't fight like a lady," Akane said in a gruff voice as she, too, studied the fight, picking up little pointers as punches and kicks were exchanged with the speed of an eyeblink.

"This grows more interesting all the time," Trieste remarked with casual ease, "Your son is holding his own against two of my best students. Perhaps you should be the one to test him next, Kasumi-chan."

"Yes, Sensei," Kasumi replied, her tone as casual as always but hinting at more enthusiasm than might normally be allowed for.

Ranma was becoming increasingly frustrated by the fact that his opponent was never where he struck while she seemed to know instinctively where he was going to be before he moved. He was also amazed at the agility of the girl whose flexible body seemed to effortlessly defy gravity and physics. He could shrug off her powerful blows, but it was taking more effort than usual to recover his bearing. He was about to redouble the intensity of his efforts when he heard Trieste call them both to a halt, then Nabiki withdrew from him and assumed a defensive posture.

The two bowed to each other as Ranma felt a grudging respect for the older girl, amazed at how accomplished she was as a fighter. He could not remember the last time he had faced so formidable an opponent, but he was more than a little surprised when she stepped away from the sparring area and was replaced by the much taller Kasumi.

The older girl casually removed her robe and tossed it to one side, then removed the flashlight-like object that she wore suspended from her best and carefully laid it on top of the cloak before straightening up to face him.

Some instinct warmed Ranma that this girl was more dangerous than either of her siblings, so he decided to give her no chance to take his measure and prepared to rush her after the bowed and assumed fighting crouches. Ranma charged forward, only to see the girl push out with a hand, and suddenly he slammed into a wall of invisible energy that staggered him for several instants. That was time enough for her to pivot and flash out with a side-kick that had the backing of the powerful muscles of her leg, and suddenly Ranma was flying as the pain slowly radiated all through his body, his course not impeded until he had slammed full-body into the opposite wall of the dojo.

"Not so aggressive, Kasumi," Trieste cautioned, "Give the boy a chance to approach you this time."

"Yes, Sensei," Kasumi responded as Ranma forced himself to stand, realizing in an instant that his previous estimation of this girl's fighting potential had been vastly understated. He tried approaching her at a more leisurely pace while she studied him with unusual calm in her expression. Ranma could not help noticing how beautiful she looked but resolved not to let this distract him as he darted and wove his way into her guard, intending to make quick work of the fight, only to find his fist had cleanly missed its target.

To his amazement the girl effortlessly wove her arm inside his guard and immobilized him with a hold that brought Ranma to his knee while rendering him incapable of launching a counter-attack. He struggled in vain to free himself but had to concede that he was helpless, much as it galled him to confront the fact that he had been so easily overmastered.

"That's enough Kasumi," Trieste remarked, "I believe you have made your point. Stand down and bow to one another."

"Yes, Sensei," Kasumi said, letting Ranma go and stepping away for a moment as Ranma stared up at her to see her apologetic smile, which further galled his ego.

"You got lucky," Ranma grudgingly conceded as he felt along his neck for bruises, coming away with nothing to indicate that she had used excessive force against him.

"There is no such thing as luck when the Force is your ally," the taller girl replied matter-of-factly as they bowed together and she turned back to retrieve her belongings.

Ranma found the older woman approaching him, and he was startled by the strange focus of her grey eyes as she seemed to read him inside and out, then turn away and seek out his father.

"You have trained him to be a fighter," she said, "But there is little else I sense with him. You have discouraged him from pursuing any other interests beside combat."

"Well..." Genma replied with a foolish expression, "The boy has had to concentrate..."

"You have further compounded this error by making arrangements surrounding him of which he has no knowledge," Trieste added, earning an astonished look from Ranma, "And you have discouraged him from forging any lasting friendships. I sense there was one special friend you left behind when you knew you should not have."

"How did you know...?" Ranma gasped, only to find a strangely reassuring glance from Kasumi.

"There is much fear in his heart," Trieste continued, "Fear you caused through carelessness and deficiencies in his training. And to add to all of this you brought him into a dangerous region of China where you carelessly risked the curses you both now bear, and on top of that you further compromised your son by braving the wrath of some warriors in China."

"China?" Nabiki brightened as she glanced at Ranma, "You've been to China?"

"Yeah...well..." Ranma said with an odd reluctance.

"I could not work with such a youth if this were any ordinary young man confronted by such challenges," Trieste turned to look at Ranma, "And yet I sense his potential is great, as is the danger for him if he is not properly supervised and turned to the right direction. Therefore I am asserting my rights as a teacher of his noble school of Kendo-Jedi training to claim this boy as my student. He must learn to master his ways and improve the discipline that you started if he is to be admitted to this honored house of Tendo."

"Now wait a minute...!" Genma started to protest when he saw her grey eyes focus upon him one again, causing him to fall immediately silent.

"I might consider keeping you on as one of his teachers," Trieste said in an unusually icy tone that was so much colder than her usual calm manner, "But you must amend your ways or I will send you packing, Soun-san's friend or no. You have done a great deal of harm to your own son, and it is time you learned what it truly means to be a father."

"But..." Genma felt the fear in him rise, drowning out his feeble protests as he saw in her eyes the promise that life would be MOST UNPLEASANT if he tried to contradict her.

"Is this wise, Trieste-san?" Soun asked his friend and fellow teacher.

"Perhaps," Trieste replied, "Or perhaps not. Ask me when I judge the boy is worthy of his teachings."

"Well then," Nabiki remarked, smiling at the astonished Ranma, "I guess that makes it official. Welcome to our school, Little Brother."

"What do we need him for?" Akane asked with grudging reluctance.

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, once more wearing her traveling robes as an apprentice Jedi, "I sense that interesting times are ahead of us, now that we have you in our midst, Ranma-kun."

"Excuse me," Kimiko spoke up, giving Soun a firm look as she said, "But I believe my husband was going to make an announcement?"

"Uh...quite right," Soun said nervously, then cleared his throat before he began, "I feel that it is time to reveal to everyone the nature of the agreement that was made between Saotome-san and myself to unite our families through marriage. Ranma, my boy, now that you've met my little girls I want you to take your time and get to know each one quite well, for one of these three girls will be your iinazuke."

There was dead silence for all of one minute before a collective gasp came from four teenagers, "NANI?"

Continued?

Where to go from here? That's a very good question! Whether I continue this or not, I wanted the chance to explore a few ideas that came to me the other day, which I thought might be fun to write out as a one-shot. Imagine Kasumi, the fully acknowledged apprentice Jedi, teaching Ranma the use of the Force as young Saotome discovers a rival in the form of Kuno Tatewaki, who has learned a few tricks from watching Akane in action. Ryoga and the others are all the same, only now their confrontations with the Tendo girls are very different than before, and Akane has no trouble recognizing Ryoga in his cursed form. As for Doctor Tofu, he once again has taken an interest in Kasumi but does not view Ranma as a serious rival, while Ranma discovers that the "edge" Nabiki enjoys over him is her quick wits and precognitive skills that always keeps her one step ahead of an opponent.

Expect Cologne to take in interest in these affairs as she finds these Jedi arts to be an interesting variation on some of the "lost" skills of her people. Trieste versus Cologne will be a dead match until an uncomfortable middle ground is forged between them. In the meantime Akane spars with Shampoo with unexpected results for both sides, and Ukyo arrives to discover a Ranma who has changed in the course of his training with Trieste. The Catfist is still in place, but now there is someone in Nerima who knows how to cure Ranma of the worst aspects of his Neko-persona.

And which girl gets him in the end? That is undecided as well, but you can see that all three girls are competitors and Ranma reacts to each one differently, yet in a positive way. With Akane he becomes more brotherly as she is the least powerful of the sisters, while Nabiki keeps him off balance with her crafty, scheming nature, and Kasumi presents a towering enigma, at once so unnaturally calm yet so commanding by her very presence.

What do you think of these ideas? Does this sound like it's going anywhere? I'd like to hear your opinion, either on this story or the concept behind the Jedi. Contact me at: shadowmane

And may the Force be with you...always!

Jim Robert Bader (June 6, 1999)

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  



	2. Chapter 2

JediKasumi02

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Apologies to Takahashi &amp; Lucas,  
but far too many readers have been asking me for another chapter)

It had seemed like a simple enough assignment, hunting down one of the few surviving members of the Jedi High Council, who had been rumored to be crossing into an unknown sector of this part of the galactic arm, but who could have anticipated that the wily old Witch would put up such a fierce resistance?

Now Darth Purge found himself in the jettisoned life capsule of his ruined starship, plummeting landward with his life systems barely functional and almost no control over his rate of descent as he watched the monitors registering a sizeable island mass that lay directly below him...and seeming to increase in size with every passing second!

On the whole it looked to be a very disappointing end to what had been such a promising young career. The former Jedi turned Sith Lord curled a lip in faint disgust as he did what he could to try and miss landing on anything too solid. At best he would just barely miss the coastline by a few dozen meters, which meant that he had to rely upon the inertial-dampening crash systems of his pod to absorb the brunt of the damage or else his pod would likely become his coffin. Not given to optimism, he prepared for the worst as best he was able. Having no particular religious inclinations he naturally felt no urge to pray, nor could he expect to have an afterlife as his dark philosophy demanded that only pain and ruin were the price for failure. Given all of that he could only watch the monitor with a grim sense of fatalism. He could not even nurture the satisfaction of knowing his enemy had perished as he sensed that she was very much alive and in much better condition than he himself at the moment.

Impact came with a suddenness that drove all thought from his consciousness, and he blissfully passed into oblivion with only minimal pain for the stunning trauma of his landing. Seriously wounded and barely alive, his pod driven deep into the water by the force of his impact, he had no sense at all that his fall was being observed from the shoreline. In fact nothing mattered to him at all until an unknown amount of time had passed and he found himself being dragged onto the beach by a pair of tiny hands that proved to be surprisingly strong and supple.

Purge coughed out briny water as sunlight hammered relentlessly on his much-  
aggrieved senses. There was little more strength left to him as he saw a hazy face appear above his head and someone asking him in an alien tongue about his condition. He could sense no hostile intentions directed towards him, only a sincere concern and curiosity about his landing and appearance. By the time Purge managed to focus his eyes upon his rescuer he had already formed an impression as to this alien's nature. His eyes confirmed his suspicions, for she was a humanoid girl-child, not yet even near puberty, and pleasing enough as things went for the species. Purge contemplated the child, then idly wondered at what had become of his universal translator.

He was too weak to do anything more, his injuries being substantial, so he put himself into a meditative trance and had no further thought about what went on around him. When he awoke later it was in a building that quite clearly was intended as a medical ward, and he had tubes inserted into his body with fluids dripping into his veins and air being fed to his nostrils...all quite primitive and backwater when compared to the standards of the society from which he had fallen. Purge had little patience for their poultices and mummery and got himself well out of that place as soon as he was physically able. The guards they had posted to watch over him proved no match at all for his Sith training, nor was the place he was kept in sufficiently secure enough to hold him.

After retrieving his belongings he went in search of his life pod and managed to trace his path back to the beach upon which he had been stranded. There he encountered the female who had somehow managed to save his life and found her practicing in an arcane and primitive kata revolving around a huge iron implement that she wielded like a broad ax.

Despite himself Purge found himself intrigued by the girl, sensing an intensity about her that rivaled his own dark ambitions and-even more astonishing for her backwater species-she seemed to have little fear of his alien appearance when he approached her, she just went about practicing as though nothing were the matter. Clearly the girl had a strong motive of revenge that was fueling her movements, and this was a motivation to which he could easily relate, having come to feel such things towards those who had wronged him in his youth, back when he had followed the insipid philosophy of his Jedi Master. Clearly the child was training to be a warrior, and that sparked within him a half-formed thought that would possibly serve his need to complete his own mission. A Padwar could be helpful to his quest, especially one who understood the language and the culture of her planet.

It was not that he felt indebted towards her or even particularly grateful, but the child had done him a favor, after a fashion, and he could see such...possibilities in one so young and impressionable, so near already to being claimed by the Dark Side. If the child proved to be as intelligent and alert as he suspected...then this would prove beneficial indeed! And so a plot was formed, one that would have unexpected results less than a decade later, when at last Jedi and Sith Lord would meet again with their heirs to clash in a battle that would decide the fate of all who lived in the Prefecture that was known as Nerima...

"Begin," said Trieste as she charged her students to engage one another in combat.

At once Nabiki and Akane began to free-spar with their wooden Naginatas, circling each other across the floor of the dojo while making slow, experimental passes with their pole arms, never looking either directly at nor away from their opponent. At first theirs seemed to be a slow, ritualized dance as they tested each others guard and seemed to probe for openings, but then they clashed in earnest as their wooden weapons connected and then deflected one another. Several times the sound of wood striking wood punctuated the air before the two sisters would break off, circle around, and try once again to penetrate their respective defenses.

And as the sisters continued to spar, Trieste spoke to the boy seated next to her and said, "What do you see before you, young Master?"

Ranma was a little surprised by the question but answered it just the same, "Two girls going at it...they're pretty good. That Akane's got a lot of raw strength and her control is pretty awesome, but I'd have to give Nabiki the edge here. She's got her sister figured out pretty good, and she's almost making this seem effortless."

"And of course you believe that you could take them both on, correct?" his sensei asked with a knowing smile that Ranma found somewhat disconcerting.

"Well..." Ranma had to reluctantly concede that it would be a pretty close match. He could beat Akane, no problem, but that Nabiki...she was another thing entirely, almost his equal in the arts and very tricky.

"You are wise not to leap to any conclusions," Trieste informed him, "I have trained these girls as best I could within their limitations. Akane is young and impulsive, very brash and headstrong, not the best qualities one could find within a warrior, but she certainly knows that she is good without having to overpower her opponent. Her sister is a different story altogether...very clever and perceptive, very precise in her control over her power, and always two steps ahead of the game. She can feel an attack coming faster than the eye can perceive it, and if you telegraph anything of your intentions she will pick it up and ready a counter before you have even begun to execute a maneuver. She is subtle where Akane is open, and while you could prove to be a match for either one it is almost guaranteed that you would not come away unscathed in such a battle. However...it is not merely a question of power that can decide the victor here."

"Yeah?" Ranma asked, "What does?"

"Observe," Trieste replied without needing to indicate that they should pay closer attention to the battling sisters.

Ranma saw a moment coming almost instantly as he saw Akane overstep herself by a fraction of a centimeter. Her weight shifted slightly off balance, and even as he registered this fact he saw Nabiki's Naginata hook out to catch her sister's foot and draw her further off her balance. Akane stumbled, started to go down, then did a backward flip to regain her footing, only to suffer a rap to her jaw by the blunt end of her sister's wooden pole. Akane fell heavily to the floor but almost immediately recovered, spinning back to her feet only to find the wooden blade-end of Nabiki's Naginata pressed firmly up against her breastbone.

"Smile Sis," Nabiki said cheerfully, "You're dead."

"That's not fair!" Akane protested, "You cheated!"

"You enemy isn't going to have any scruples about it in a fight, Akane," Nabiki replied, "You're the one who gave me the opening...how many times have I told you about practicing more on your footwork?"

"Nabiki is right, Akane," Trieste spoke up, "Your enemies will not have any hesitation about using whatever you give them in a battle. You must learn to feel the moment, to let things happen as they will, and only to act when you know the moment is upon you. To do otherwise is to attempt to force your will upon events, and if done improperly the mere act of wanting can leave you open to the Dark Side. Let the Force flow through you and it will always guide your actions in the correct and positive manner."

"Works for me, Sis," Nabiki said as she stood back, "It's not a personal thing...I just do what the Force tells me and I let the other guy make all the mistakes."

"Ah...this Force stuff," Ranma spoke up, "What's it like?"

Nabiki turned an amused glance his way and said, "Don't you know already? I feel it strongly in you and you don't even have our formal training."

"There is a degree of difference between Chi Mastery and the ways of the Force," Trieste explained calmly, "You summon the power within you to intensify your strength and natural abilities...but the Force does that for you automatically and without real effort. You don't need to use your emotions in order to fortify yourself...you let your emotions flow freely, but selectively, discarding the negative for the positive. Anger, Hate, Resentment, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth...a Jedi cares not for these things. Greed and base Desire have no relevance to our training. It is in the positive flow of life itself that a Jedi finds the purest expression of the Force. That is why it is better to love than to hate, to appreciate rather than to fear, to seek the fulfillment of basic needs and desires without wallowing in the primal soup of negative emotions. You don't repress your desires, nor do you completely ignore them, but rather you allow them to be and release them as you would let water flow between your fingers..."

"Ah..." Ranma felt a curious reluctance at the mention of the word "water," but slowly he nodded, "I guess I can figure some of that out. It ain't what Pop teaches, but I can't argue with results."

"Your father," Trieste allowed with some hesitation before resuming, "Instructed you in the manner in which he was taught by his Master. Genma has suffered much for your sake, young Master, and yet you have suffered a great deal because of his compulsive behavior. I sense a great deal of anger and resentment within you, and I know how strong these qualities have shaped your character, but in time you must learn to let them go and no longer be a slave to their dark nature."

"Whatever," Ranma said, then found Nabiki standing in front of him with an oddly amused expression.

"Care to free spar with me again, Ranma-kun?" she asked, "We never did settle which of us is the better fighter."

"Ah..." Ranma found himself staring at this bright and quirky girl who was one year his senior. Tall, lanky, well developed with incredibly well-shaped legs and perfectly tapering feet, her face such a study in contrasts, so pretty and feminine on the one hand, so mischievous and cat-like on the other (the latter thought caused him to shudder ever-so-slightly).

"Proving who is best is not the way of the Jedi," Trieste cautioned, "A Jedi cares not who is the best or the lesser fighter. However...I am well aware that young people do possess an innate need to prove themselves in whatever kind of pecking order they might establish, so why don't you two have fun and see what you can learn from one another. I will be the one to judge which of you is the more capable fighter."

"Okay," Ranma said, getting to his feet with a curious reluctance as the thought of fighting with the middle Tendo sister was making him feel uneasy for some odd reason.

"Huh," Akane frowned as she took her place on the floor near to Trieste, "I don't know why Nabiki's always get to hog the limelight. I could take that guy down anytime, no problem."

"You still have much to learn," Trieste said with soft amusement in her voice, "Perhaps later you can have your chance, but I want Kasumi to be the next one who free-spars with young Master Saotome."

"Hmm?" Kasumi turned a surprised look towards her mentor, but the young Padwar knew better than to question the desires of her Mistress, having long ago learned to trust that the Jedi Mistress always acted for the best of purposes. She turned her attention back towards the boy named Ranma, upon whom a good deal of her concentration had been focused since their first meeting the previous night. There was something about the odd gender-cursed youth with the name of "Wild Horse" that was puzzling her greatly, and Kasumi found that she could not stop thinking about him, not even when she attempted her daily meditations.

Nabiki had that sly cat-like smile about her as she stood unarmed and facing against Ranma. The boy was clever and quick when it came to the martial arts but a bit slow and thick headed in other things. He had a raw, almost elemental character that combined the best and worst aspects of the male sex (saving only that he did not strike her as the "drooling Hentai" type far too common at their high school). Ranma had been checking her out and was obviously well aware of Nabiki's feminine assets (what she allowed him to see, which included a bit of fun that she had indulged last night when "surprising" him in the shower, all the while pretending it was an "accident" that she had let him see her without her clothes on...and vice versa!).

Ranma was undeniably handsome, quite unselfconsciously so, and from the way he moved she knew he had a GREAT body (that shower business was just for her own confirmation). You could do a lot of really FUN things with a guy like this, and while Nabiki was still (at least technically) a Virgin, she reasoned that if she were going to have her first fling that she could do a whole lot worse than to seduce this Saotome Ranma.

After all, he was cute, handsome, had a great tush and was surprisingly easy to manipulate...all qualities that Nabiki could appreciate in a man, and he DEFINITELY had an edge over another guy she knew by the name of Kuno...

Ranma kept telling himself that he wasn't afraid of this Nabiki, she had just caught him off his guard last night, and he hadn't meant to look her over, but she was just standing there outside of the Furo with all of her BITS showing out, and what was he supposed to do anyway? It wasn't like he hadn't seen a naked girl before (his other self, for one thing) and so what if she had a GREAT body with all the parts perfectly connected? Besides, if she didn't want him to look, when why hadn't she covered herself up when she found him in the furo? For that matter, why had she stepped INTO the furo while he was still in it if it bothered her at all that he was a guy and looking right at her?

Of course if he had stayed he might have been accused of trying to take advantage of her, but Ranma hadn't stopped to ask what she was doing there as he grabbed his things and ran out of the furo (and hey, was it his fault if he hadn't finished putting them on when he ran past that Akane in the hallway? Who was she to be calling him names anyway, the Uncute Tomboy...?

"Earth to Ranma," Nabiki's voice drew him back into the moment, "Are you going to spar with me or should I schedule in another appointment?"

"Ah...right," Ranma said, and assumed a fighting posture.

"That's more like it," Nabiki said, and at once she struck before Ranma had even registered her movement.

Instinct caused him to turn his body to the side as Nabiki's fist glided by his face with mere centimeters of separation. The girl followed up with a punch towards his middle, but Ranma deflected it with his arm and stepped into her guard with a backfist that failed to connect as she turned her own face sideways. They grappled together for several very intense seconds as hands and feet moved with a speed that was superhuman. A hundred blows were exchanged with neither one finding their mark until the two of them broke off and leaped backwards to take further stock of one another. By this point Ranma found himself slightly winded from the exhausting exchange, but Nabiki was not even breathing heavy, which signified to Ranma that she had yet to push herself and was merely taking his measure.

Again they came at one another, this time with kicks being exchanged even more than punches, the added distance and power raising the stakes and carrying their fight into the air above the floor of the dojo, where Saotome Ryu was alleged to be the best of all attack styles. Once again Nabiki seemed to anticipate his every move while counter-attacking at what definitely seemed to be less than her full power. It began to annoy Ranma to think that she was patronizing him, and yet still he could not bring himself to feel angry towards her as there was something about this Nabiki that appealed to him on a certain level.

They broke off once again and this time Nabiki did appear to be a bit more stressed than the last time, and yet in spite of this she was grinning even more than ever. Clearly she was enjoying the fight and did not want it to end prematurely. This Ranma guy was holding his own against her, and that had never happened before, and the challenge this presented to her was more than a little bit intriguing.

"Ready to give up yet, Ranma-kun?" she teased, and was rewarded to find her taunt had caused his resolve to stiffen.

"I'll show you what I can do," Ranma growled, and at once he launched into an offensive that was twice as furious as before, using specialized maneuvers that Nabiki had never previously encountered, which was why she had more difficulty anticipating his attacks, especially when a few of them turned out to be double-  
edged swords or feints that concealed his actual intentions. At last she was caught with an opening wide enough for him to solidly connect, and the blow knocked her down and carried her almost the full length of the dojo, stunning her for several rather grueling and intense seconds.

Ranma's delight at finally scoring turned to dismay when he saw his opponent writhing on the floor in pain. Without thinking he rushed over to her side and said, "Hey, are you all right? I didn't meant to hit you so..."

Nabiki came alive the instant he was kneeling over her, and her legs wrapped around his neck as she jack-knifed and threw him onto the hard wooden floor, landing on top of him and straddling him with her body. She pinned him there using an Aikido maneuver, then grinned like a Cheshire cat pouncing on a tasty mouse and said, "Gotcha! You fell for that one big time, Saotome."

"Let me go!" Ranma snarled, "You tricked me! You-" all at once his protests were smothered as Nabiki brought her heaving chest down on top of his face. She lay atop him there and held him closely to her body, murmuring softly, "Now there, Ranma-kun...does that feel better? Feel free to sample, I don't mind one bit..."

"Mmmph...?" was all Ranma could say to this, finding his face pressed into the warm cleavage of the girl's swelling bosom, nestled between the twin pillows that smelled awfully nice from this close a vantage.

"Oh my," Kasumi murmured, in no way having foreseen something like THIS occurring!

"Nabiki-what are you doing?" Akane demanded!

"Pressing her advantage it would seem," Trieste remarked, "I wondered why your sister had chosen not to wear her halter this time around. Ah well..." she raised her voice and said, "Nabiki-chan...if you would like to be alone we could leave you two for now and conduct the rest of your training after your normal classes."

"Hmmm?" Nabiki slowly sat upright and adjusted the top half of her gi, "Well, if it's all the same to you, Sensei..."

"Hah?" said a slightly stunned Ranma, who lay where he was staring blankly up at the ceiling.

Just then Kimiko showed up with a tray of food and said, "Are you still working out together? It's almost past seven...you'll be late for your school if you don't clean up and get dressed in a hurry."

"Actually I would say we were about done for now," Trieste turned to Kasumi and said, "You'll have your chance to spar with him later, dear. Besides...I think your sister has worn him down for the next few moments."

"Hah?" Ranma said once again, still not focused on anything but the pattern of the wood grain in the rafters.

"Another time, Ranma-kun," Nabiki cheerfully remarked as she got to her feet and tossed him a jaunty smile, relishing his befuddled expression, "We definitely have to pick this up where we're leaving off. You'll understand if we take a rain check for now?"

"Hah?" Ranma again repeated.

Nabiki could not hide her delighted expression as she turned away. Big, Dumb and Sexy...EXACTLY what she was looking for in a boyfriend! And how nice of him to be concerned enough over her to leave himself wide open like that...could she really be blamed for taking such an opening?

Apparently Akane did, for her younger sister was glowering at her, while Kasumi just seemed...well...unusually distressed over something. Nabiki could not recall when she had last seen her normally serene older sister look this perturbed, and it made Nabiki wonder if she were really the only member of the household who was regarding their new houseguest as a prospective romantic partner.

Well...in a way it did make sense...after all, there was that PROMISE of an engagement made by their fathers seeking to wed a Saotome to a Tendo, and what more convenient excuse did someone like Nabiki need to take advantage of this? If she ever got too forward she could just bring up the subject of an engagement to stifle the protests.

That Akane wanted no part in the whole business was hardly surprising at all, given what Nabiki knew about her little sister...but what WAS surprising was discovering that she might have Kasumi of all people as a potential rival! Kasumi was surprising for several reasons, not least of which being that Nabiki had thought her interested in Doctor Tofu, and hadn't her older sister often complained about how immature younger men could be? This did bear further reflection...

Trieste sighed as she contemplated her two most promising students. Nabiki had certainly wasted no time in staking out her claims, but Kasumi was reacting with more than just maternal empathy for the hapless boy named Saotome Ranma. The older Tendo sister's feelings were surprisingly acute considering the scanty time in which she had come to know the boy, but almost from the start Kasumi had seemed to sense in the young martial artist a desire for intimacy and affection, not to mention a very deep pain that would not go away no matter how hard the boy sought to bury his emotions. There was a yearning in Kasumi that Trieste had never before detected, and it promised well for the future of her young Padwar if she be encouraged to deepen and explore the nature of those feelings.

Not all desires were harmful, after all, and though Lust might be counted as the dark counterpart to Love, it had many useful applications, not least of which was in childbearing and procreation. Nabiki was already manifesting an unusual degree of that emotion, and Trieste could tell that it was a more intense feeling than any of her previous flings, flirtations and even crushes. It was good to see both girls developing a healthy appreciation for the male of their species (as for Akane...well, that was only to be expected, given the different makeup of her psychodynamics) and Trieste meant to encourage it, even if it meant putting the two sisters (at least temporarily, she hoped) in opposition to one another.

It was a risky strategy and it could well backfire with tragic results, but Trieste would stay alert and monitor the situation to insure that her students did not succumb to their darker emotions. She knew that Kasumi and Nabiki loved each other very much and would never actively try to hurt one another...but when it came to such a complex set of emotions as sexual desire, lust, love and even infatuation, one could never be too careful. There was something about the Saotome boy that seemed to draw attention from the opposite sex like bees to honey or iron filings to a magnet. Given the way he had been raised by Genma it seemed unlikely that the boy even knew he had such a power over women, but it seemed equally likely that he would be learning all about it shortly, and the Force protect him when his power full blossomed!

It looked as if there would be some interesting times ahead for the families of Saotome and Tendo, and Trieste would see what she could do to insure that those results did not prove to be too explosive...

Darth Purge curled his lip with anticipation as he surveyed the wide valley that lay below him, convinced that at last his long search was about to bear fruit, and if his sources were correct he would finally be able to complete his mission and be rid of the sole surviving member of the Jedi council altogether.

At first it had taken him time to learn where she was staying, and then to make careful observation from afar in order to determine for himself that the annoying witch had indeed allied herself with a Terran family unit and had taken one of their daughters for her Padwar. Purge had prepared to make a daring assault on their living quarters, only to discover at the last moment that Trieste had gone on a wandering pilgrimage with her Padwar in tow, the better to teach the child about the world and the use of her powers. That had set Purge back by about a year, but he had learned to be patient in his time among the Terrans...very patient indeed, knowing that if he left the family alone his prey would one day return with her apprentice.

And now that day had finally arrived. Purge had followed the accounts of the wanderings of both Jedi and understudy, learned from studying accounts of their adventures the extent to which this Tendo Kasumi had progressed in her training. He had monitored rumors of the use of certain special powers by the younger two girls and grew satisfied to know how much force would likely be needed to destroy them. In the meantime he had been gathering his own resources in order to stage his assault, young people with special talents of their own who could be taught just enough in the use of the Force to be credible allies (ie: Cannon Fodder).

His true Padwar stood to his left, the girl named Kuonji Ukyo, now near-fully ready to assume the mantle of the Sith in her own right. He had cultivated the girl's dark obsessions over some boy by the name of Saotome Ranma and used it to craft her into a weapon most deadly. He had never quite broken her of the habit of using that odd cooking implement of hers, or of her other obsession with cooking Japanese pancakes, but as the results of her labors was usually quite good he had gotten accustomed to the taste of okonomiyaki. In all other respects she was an excellent Padwar, and it was almost a shame that she would soon be of an age to prove her mettle or perish.

That was the way of the Sith, after all...the Apprentice would train to one day challenge their master. If the Apprentice were strong then he or she would become the Master, but if the Apprentice proved to be the weaker...well...there was always time to train a new apprentice...

Not like these other fools who followed him blindly, young men who had come into the service of Darth Purge when the Dark Side of the force had led them into his employment. Each had talents of their own that made them useful, but none of them was truly worthy to be a Sith Lord in their own right. They served Purge faithfully because of his promise to help them in their own peculiar obsessions (a promise he may or may not choose to fulfill, depending on whether it worked to the advantage of his mission) and he intended to use them for as long as they continued to prove useful.

That time was near at hand, and soon Purge would announce his continued existence to his longtime enemy...on the day he tore her bleeding heart from her chest after making her watch the destruction-one by one-of her much-beloved students. Revenge was nearly at hand, and soon Darth Purge would be the sole surviving Force Master on the planet, and an empire would beckon shortly afterwards as he put his superior skills and knowledge to use conquering this pathetic mud-ball in a backward sector of the cosmos!

"Come," he said to his minions and allies, and together they descended from the hills to begin the task of hunting down Jedi...

"Penny for your thoughts, Ranma-kun," Nabiki asked as they made their way towards school.

"Ah..." Ranma said uneasily as he walked the top of the wall, looking down on the three sisters, "I'm just wondering why Pop got me enrolled in school on my first day in town. It's not like we're planning on staying all that long, and I really ought to be finding a way to get back to China..."

"So you can get that curse of yours lifted?" Akane said, breaking her own resolve to ignore the boy's very existence, "What makes you think you can find one by yourself?"

"I don't know," Ranma huffed, "I just know I gotta. You've got no idea what it's like turning into a girl...I mean...what if you got turned into a boy? How would you feel about that, huh?"

Akane actually thought about that one, and her eyes got very round before she said, "Oh boy..."

"Hey, that's not such a stretch when you come to think of it, Sis," Nabiki teased her sister, "You act like a boy, and you even chase other girls..."

"Shut up," Akane growled, "I'm not like you, you know. At least I don't go throwing myself around flirting."

"True enough," Nabiki conceded, "And it's not exactly your fault when you come down to it. You're practically 'Miss Popularity' in our school, but the boys never seen to get a clue that you're just not interested..."

"Why would I be interested in a bunch of...BOYS?" Akane huffed, "Those raging perverts better stay out of my way. I've got no time for their usual nonsense."

"Has it been very bad for you while I've been away, Akane-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you, Sis," Nabiki replied, "You'd have to see it first to believe it. By the way...how come you want to walk with us to school? I thought you were attending college."

"Ah...well...it is break time and I wanted to spend more time with you, Sisters," Kasumi smiled demurely, "We've been apart for so long, I'm sure we have so much catching up to do...a whole years worth of gossip."

"Uhuh," Akane said skeptically, "And it wouldn't, by any chance, have something to do with a certain promise made by Dad to Uncle Saotome?"

"Ah..." Kasumi glanced away and her face colored shyly.

"Yeah, Sis," Nabiki purred softly, "I didn't know you were into younger men. You mean you're not going to just leave the field open to me? I didn't know you were into Boy chasing."

Kasumi colored prettily and did not immediately respond, but Ranma nearly lost his footing on the wall as he overheard these exchanges and went, "HUH?" in a manner that (even for him) seemed particularly clueless.

"Well...didn't you stay awake through that part, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki smiled slyly in his direction, "According to our Dads, you're going to wind up becoming a husband to either me or Kasumi. I think we can safely rule Akane out of this by her own declaration, right Sis?"

"Completely," Akane growled in a voice that dripped icicles.

"So, there you have it," Nabiki said grandly, "Either Kasumi or me will one day have the honor of being your wife...so would you care to state a preference, Ranma-kun, over which of us you would prefer to be engaged?"

"Engaged?" Ranma gasped as his foot completely missed its target and he suddenly went tumbling over the wall and into the drainage canal with an audible splash.

All three sisters lined up by the chain-link fence that he had been walking upon and peered down into the water where a redheaded form came splashing to the surface, spitting out water and looking totally befuddled.

"That baka..." Akane sighed.

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, "Nabiki, you really shouldn't tease him like that."

"Hey, it's fun," Nabiki turned a sly look towards Akane, "And look at the bright side, Sis, at least now you can think about dating him without getting sick, right?"

"Get real," Akane huffed, "He's not really a girl, he just looks like that when you add water."

"Yes, but we do not have time to play around if we are to get the three of you to school on time," Kasumi responded, stretching out a hand as she focused upon Ranma, and a moment later the redheaded girl came whooping like a crane as she lifted up into the air, then casually drifted over the fence onto the sidewalk, where Kasumi deposited her, still dripping wet but otherwise unhurt.

"Whoah," Ranma-chan blinked her eyes at Kasumi, amazed at this simple demonstration of her powers.

"Think that's something?" Nabiki asked, then snapped her fingers and waved a hand over Ranma, instantly causing the moisture in her hair and clothing to part company with her body, "And you won't even have dry skin as a consequence. Now is that handy or what?"

"Huh?" Ranma-chan turned to see the middle daughter eyeing her with no less interest than she had paid to her boy form, and remembering her prior encounters with Nabiki made her color slightly and feel a bit more nervous.

"Hmmm," Nabiki said, "Sure you won't reconsider, Sis? I think she looks really cute this way..."

"Would you two grow up," Akane growled, though she did seem to be staring a lot more at Ranma's cursed form than she ever had when Ranma had been male.

"That's quite right," Kasumi chided, "We've no time to be playing around, and it just wouldn't be proper for Ranma to spend his first day in school like this. We must her at once to Doctor Tofu...I'm sure he'll be happy to provide some hot water."

"Good thinking, Sis," Nabiki nodded, "Wouldn't do to have our boyfriend get molested on his first day at our school."

"Huh?" Ranma looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"You'll see," Akane warned her in a voice filled with irritation and resentment.

A few minutes later a fully-male Ranma understood exactly what had been implied by Akane, murmuring to himself, "Man...was that guy hopeless or what? And you say he's your family doctor?"

"That's right," Nabiki said cheerfully, "And usually he's pretty competent, but he gets kind of excited every time he sees Kasumi."

"You mean he turns into a total Spaz case," Akane huffed, "He can't even see right to stay focused, and when he's like that he can actually be pretty dangerous...to anyone but Kasumi."

"Huh?" Ranma eyed the sad-faced older girl as Kasumi had barely spoken a word during the whole very strange encounter, "You mean...he flips out because...?"

"Yes," Kasumi sighed, "And I used to find it rather amusing when I was little, but now that I am a woman he just doesn't seem to be getting any better. I used to think of him as being a very mature and level headed fellow, but lately..." she sighed.

"We know, Sis," Nabiki replied with surprising sympathy in her voice, "You want more than that from a boyfriend."

"Ah..." Kasumi looked away, seeming as sad and pensive as at any time that Ranma had yet seen her.

"Cheer up, Oneechan," Akane spoke reassuringly, "I'm sure one of these days Doctor Tofu will snap out of it and come back to his senses. He's just excited on seeing you after a year that you've been away. Give him a little more time..."

"You're encouraging her?" Nabiki asked skeptically, "I seem to recall at one point you had a pretty big crush on the good doctor..."

"Shut up," Akane growled, "It's not like it's something I'm proud about, okay? And besides, I got over that a long time ago..."

"Just the same," Nabiki persisted, "He's about the only guy, aside from Daddy, who you treat in any way decent."

"Ah...I don't get this," Ranma remarked, turning back to Akane, "What have you got against guys anyway?"

"You'll see in another minute," Akane glowered, quickening her pace as she started to snarl, "I hate BOYS!"

"Eh?" Kasumi seemed herself surprised on seeing her younger sister charging into the ranks of a group of Furinkan students. Nabiki just seemed to nod sadly and said, "Ranma-kun...welcome to the Furinkan High School all-male welcoming committee, Violent Tomboy Fan Club Obsessives."

"Hah?" Ranma blinked, seeing around twenty or so boys dressed up in various sports outfits come charging towards Akane, who met their mass like they were bees attacking a rhino. What ensued was an outright melee in which the lone Tendo sister took down their ranks with methodical efficiency, sending the majority of these boys off to dream land while being careful not to inflict any permanent injuries to even the worst of her assailants.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "Is this sort of behavior typical, Nabiki?"

"Unfortunately so, Sis," Nabiki replied, "At first Akane and me took it to be a kind of impromptu training, but lately it's just gotten to be too much of a routine to be worth the effort."

"You go through this regularly?" Ranma was openly appalled as they walked out onto the field of carnage.

"Just about every school day," Nabiki replied, "Sometimes its me they attack, but mostly it's Akane, and I can't say I blame her for being a little upset about it. That's partly the reason why she has such a bad temper."

"Or why she thinks so poorly about boys," Kasumi fathomed, "Why doesn't the school administration do something to prevent these attacks?"

"You don't think they've tried?" Nabiki replied, "Heck, our former principal openly encouraged this kind of stuff, which is why everybody on the faculty pitched in to give the guy an extended vacation in Hawaii. And these sports addicts aren't even the worst of it, the one guy who's the former Principal's son is the real ringleader behind it all. I think you know who I'm talking about, Sis...he used to be pretty hung up about you."

"Oh my," Kasumi said with a note of dismay, "You don't mean...Tatewaki?"

"Indeed, Gentle Maiden," a male voice said dramatically as a lone figure stepped out from the concealment of a tree near the center of the school yard, "And Lo, though mine eyes have not witnessed thy beauty for nigh-on a season, you continue to blossom and grow more fair with time's passage."

For some reason Ranma felt the hackles on his arm and neck stand on end as he turned his attention towards a tall boy in a Samurai Hakata. Said boy cradled a bokken across his shoulders and stood rather self-importantly as if expecting everyone to be impressed by his mere appearance.

"Kuno!" Akane fairly snarled the world as she turned to regard this new comer, "When are you ever going to get it through your thick head that I DON'T LIKE MEN!?"

"Ah, but surely you do not equate these...weaklings with all who are of the male half of the population?" the tall boy gave a contemptuous toss of his head at the fallen bodies of their fellow students, "Besides...you cannot expect me to surrender one as fair as you to the grip of this sad fancy for those of your own gender? It ill behooves a gentleman to allow such a travesty to persist. You but need to spend time with a man who can cure you of this fickle jest of the fates that you may resume your station as a true and proper woman..."

"Hey Pal!" Ranma called out, "Who the hell are you talking like that to her? And just what do you think you are dressed like that? Some kind of nut or something?"

"And who are you who dares address himself to the great Kuno Tatewaki?" the tall boy challenged back with a hint of distant thunder in the background, "And by what right do you presume to stand in the company of the daughters of the House of Tendo?"

"Oh, didn't you know, Kuno-baby?" Nabiki teased as she took Ranma by the arm, "He's my new boyfriend. Say hi to the Captain of our Kendo Fencing team, Ranma-  
kun, the ol' Falling Star himself..."

"That's 'Shooting Star!'" the tall boy growled, "And I've recently change it to 'The Blue Thunder.' One moment...did you just say...that he is your BOY-  
friend?"

"Sure thing," Nabiki grinned, "Say hello to Saotome Ranma, the son of a very good friend of our father."

Kuno pointed with his bokken at Ranma's breast and asked, "You are the male companion to this, the Mercenary Middle Daughter of the house of Tendo? Truly you have my condolences. I sincerely hope that you have very deep pockets because she sometimes charges by the hour for her mere company."

"Hey!" both Nabiki and Ranma protested at one in the same instant, then exchanged surprised looks at one another.

"Tatewaki," Kasumi sighed as he stepped out around her sister and prospective boyfriend, "You really shouldn't be talking to my sisters that way. It isn't very nice, and it does not befit a man who claims to be a son of the House of Kuno."

"You are quite right, where are my manners?" Tatewaki smiled as he fully regarded the oldest Tendo sisters, "I spoke sincerely, though, when I praised you for your beauty. Every time that I behold you, fair flower of innocence, you grow more radiant and alluring."

"I thank you for your kind words," Kasumi replied, "But I must ask that you stop bothering my sisters. Were you the one who encouraged these others to attack them every morning?"

"I confess only that I did declare them unworthy of seeking your young sister's affections without first proving their mettle," Tatewaki replied, "As you can see I was quite right to declare them unfit for her company. Indeed, only a man among men has the right to court a daughter of the House of Tendo. I am such a worthy man, of course, and I will be happy to demonstrate this to you if you will permit me the great honor of a challenge."

"I can sense that you have grown much stronger from the last time we met, Tatewaki," Kasumi replied, "But I don't think the outcome will be any different from when you challenged me on my day of graduation."

"Mayhaps we shall see, fair one," Kuno crouched down low and stood ready with his bokken.

"I've had about enough of this," Ranma growled as he started to move forward, only to find Nabiki's grip on his arm all but immovable.

"Don't interfere this time, Ranma-kun," Nabiki urged, "This is Oneechan's fight, she's only one of us qualified to take down Kuno. He's a lot more dangerous than you realize, and he's been training hard for a rematch with Kasumi."

"Oneechan," Akane growled to herself, "I should be the one who decks that baka..."

Ranma was about to protest being left on the sidelines when that feeling of ants crawling over his skin started up once again, and as he turned his gaze towards the would-be Samurai he was amazed to see the tall boy was surrounded in a powerful battle aura. This aura intensified until it seemed as though the boy was like the wick of a candle burning brightly against the gathering gray of an approaching storm cloud. He stood like a flame before the impassive girl whom he was confronting, his wooden sword seeming to glow itself as though it had been transformed into a light saber.

To his amazement he heard Kasumi sigh, "Really, this is so childish..."

Kuno leaped to the attack, his sword raised high over his head and his entire body seemed to be surrounded by the glow of a blue-white bolt of lightning. He came crashing down to Earth with his blade poised to strike at the unmoving Kasumi, and it was only at the last second that the older girl seemed to react in the face of her mortal peril.

All at once Kasumi sprang to life, her Light Saber appearing in her hand as though it had been put there by magic, and with a single upward slice she stepped beyond the point where Tatewaki landed. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, though the dark boy's aura faded away into practically nothing. A moment more elapsed in which nothing seemed to occur, but then his bokken fell to the ground in two halves, leaving Kuno clutching the mere handle, a befuddled expression coloring his handsome features.

Kasumi put away her Light Saber and said, "Your Nampo is strong, Tatewaki, but the spirit behind your attack is weak. It will take more than strength if you wish to defeat me. Now...as the victor of this exchange, I ask once again that you cease harassing my sisters."

Kuno straightened up and turned to regard her, then said simply, "Fair enough...in truth I never wanted either of them in the first place. It is you whom I covet, and I will strive again to prove my worth. This day belongs to you, gentle maiden, but Kuno Tatewaki is far from done in his pursuit of your affections."

With that the arrogant boy turned around and calmly walked back towards the school building, leaving the others to stare at his broad backside until Akane finally said, "That guy is a total loony! If you ask me, Oneechan, you've been way too lenient. If it had been me he'd be eating his lunch through a straw..."

"Akane," Kasumi chided, "You can't expect to solve everything through violence. I've known Tatewaki for years and I've seen as much good as bad within him. He's lonely and misguided, which is why he does things like this to serve his craving for attention. I wish I could be the one to cure him of his obsessions...but...I fear that is beyond even the scope of my training."

"Maybe so," Ranma said, "But that guy better watch himself around me. I don't like creeps who hassle girls, and that ain't even because I turn into one either."

"Ah...speaking of which," Nabiki turned her gaze towards the skyline, "I think we'd better get you indoors real fast, Ranma-kun, or we're gonna have to take another detour to the hot showers."

"Then I suppose I will have to leave you for now," Kasumi sighed with evident reluctance, "Be well until I see you again at mid-day, Sisters...Ranma-kun."

"Ah...sure," Ranma said, noticing the sadness about the eyes of the older girl and wondering if there were anything he could do to cheer her up. His arm was still tightly gripped by Nabiki, however, so he had no choice about following her into the school building...but before they got three steps he heard Akane call out to them.

"Guys?" the youngest Tendo child sounded worried, "Did you just feel that?"

Nabiki blinked her eyes, "Uh...yeah...something cold...like a chill..."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "Who in the world are those people?"

The three Tendo sisters and Ranma all turned to see a strange group of dark-clad figures standing near the gates to the school yard, chief among whom was a man whose features seemed very alien, being more like the face of a lizard, complete with long-darting tongue and slit eyes whose malevolence could be felt at a great distance.

"Magnificent," he hissed audibly, "You are everything I expected and more in an apprentice Jedi. This will be a most...interesting first encounter."

"Who the hell are you creeps?" Ranma demanded over the rumbling of thunder growing more intense in the background.

To his surprise it was not the lizard who spoke first but rather a girl with long brown hair standing next to him, holding in one hand a giant spatula as she softly purred out his name, "Saotome Ranma...long time no see, Ranchan."

"Ranchan?" Nabiki asked archly, not liking the sound of familiarity in that woman's voice.

"Ranma...so we finally meet again!" growled another in the strange group, a boy wearing a bandana and holding up an umbrella as though it were a club, "Now you pay for breaking your promise!"

"Friends of yours?" asked a cautious-sounding Akane.

"Not that I can remember," Ranma responded, "Do I know you guys?"

"Oh yeah," the girl hefted her iron spatula and snarled, "You're only the creep who spoiled my whole life!"

"Not to mention made mine a living hell!" the other boy bellowed.

"Stay your hands, my brethren," the lizard man hissed, "You will have your chance at revenge...but I am here now for the would-be Jedi. Taro...Mu-  
Tsu...stand ready to persuade our young companions that it would be folly to rush into imprudent action."

"You got it, Boss," said a tall, handsome boy whose smiled conveyed a nasty personality.

"It would be my pleasure," said an even taller boy whose long black hair and thick eyeglasses gave him a somewhat exotic appearance to match his Chinese-  
style outfit.

"Five against four," Nabiki murmured softly, "I don't like those odds...and Scale Boy over there's got a really nasty aura."

"He is with the Dark Side," Kasumi spoke with considerable alarm, "He is the one my Mistress has warned me about...the Sith Lord!"

"That is correct," spoke a calm-voiced Trieste as she stepped out into the open, turning to confront the lizard man and his allies, "I had a feeling you would be turning up sooner or later. The Force warned me that you would attempt to harass my students. You wanted me, Darth Purge? I am here...and I am ready."

"We will see about that," the Lizard-man replied, cocking his head with one eye taking notice of a passing rain cloud, his tongue darting out with a hint of satisfaction.

"What's he looking at the sky for?" Akane asked, then answered her own question, "You don't think he knows about Ranma's curse, does he?"

"I told you," Ranma insisted, "I don't know these guys, especially that lizard creep."

"That's starting to seem pretty academic, Ranma-kun," Nabiki replied, sighing as she added, "So much for my perfect attendance record. Looks like we're about to get busy..."

And even as she spoke these words the first drops of rain began falling from the heavens...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/The Fandom Menace: shadowmane

Yes, at long last, I am back to working on this concept, which many have begged me to turn into a series. I trust this first new installment was well worth the wait, and that you will continue to be pleased by the things that I have in store for the heroes, villains and "Misguided" characters in this story. I want to thank the many people who have offered me their ideas for how this could be continued (too many names for me to remember off-hand) and I welcome your comments and suggestions. I do intend to take a few liberties with the basic concepts offered by George Lucas, but otherwise I will try and remain faithful to the Lore of the Jedi as established in his epic series, Star Wars. (Hey, if Takahashi can forgive me for some of the things I do with her people...)

Stay tuned for the next installment as Jedi clashes Sith with the Dark and Light sides of the Force vying for the hearts and minds of the innocents in this story. Has Ukyo totally given herself over to the Dark Side? Will Ryoga yield to his own Heart of Darkness, and can anyone triumph against the likes of a rampaging Pantyhose Taro? (Something tells me Ranma will need more than just to tell Ucchan that she's "cute" in order to dissuade her from homicide!) For these and other matters of serious drama, stay tuned for, "Ran-Wars," or "The Empire Strikes Out!" Be there!

Jim Robert Bader 07/23/00

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	3. Chapter 3

JediKasumi03

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Takahashi and Lucas supplied the original concepts,  
I just played around with them a bit to make this story)

Chapter Three.

"So," Trieste said softly, "You finally caught up with me, have you, Purge? But what is the idea of involving these children in our battle?"

"I might ask of you the same thing," the reptilian Sith Lord hissed in reply to this, "As if I would allow you to spread your insipid Jedi philosophy on this primitive backwater world. I think that you are about to learn, however, that there are secrets to this planet that defy even your pitiful imagination.

"Careful Sensei," Nabiki cautioned, "I'm getting a sense that he's up to something...and it somehow involves the weather."

"Just great," Ranma grumbled as he felt the first drops strike his cheek, "Now everybody's gonna see me changing..."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Boy," Purge hissed back, "For you aren't the only one as you are about to see."

"Oh my," Kasumi said as she shifted her balance, seeing the four dark-clad youths standing next to the lizard man were smiling in a way that implied that something very unpleasant was about to happen.

The one holding a large spatula in both hands was the first to manifest a change, her body suddenly sporting a thick layer of fur as her features changed and grew more animalistic, and her stance even increased by several centimeters as she snarled in a way that was altogether inhuman.

"WHAT THE-?" Ranma reacted, taking half a step backward as he-or rather SHE-stared round-eyed at the girl's change of appearance.

"Oh my!" Nabiki herself exclaimed as she saw the boy holding an umbrella suddenly grow in size as his face sported a pair of tusks and a pig-snout formed on a face no less bestial that the cat-girl.

"What the hell...?" Akane gave a start as the larger boy grew to gigantic proportions and sprouted horns from his head, looking like nothing so much as a winged Minotaur, even bellowing a roar that shook the leaves in the trees all about them.

Lastly the tall boy with black hair sprouted a pair of wings and stood tall like an Angel, giving his new appendages an experimental flap as if to test the strength of his own feathers, at which point Kasumi said, "They ALL have Jusenkyo-style curses?"

"I see it now," Trieste remarked, "You have taken your Padwar and minions to China?"

"The idea came to me when I first met the boy named Taro, and later on when I encountered this other boy by the name of Hibiki, who blamed his condition on young Saotome," Purge remarked, "One dip in the enchanted waters of Jusenkyo gave them animal bodies, a second dip in the waters of Drowned Boy and Girl modified their curses into the half-animal shapes you now see before you. Frankly I think it improves their appearance as humans, but their change is more than skin deep, I assure you."

"How horrible," Trieste frowned, "To inflict this upon these innocents...this is monstrous even by your standards, Sith Lord."

"Thank you," Purge sneered, "I knew it would impress you."

"Oh man..." Ranma-chan backed away as the cat-girl approached him, "It's...it's a ...a C-c-c-c-cat!"

"Eh?" Nabiki, Kasumi and Akane all reacted as one to the wave of panicked fear radiating from the transformed martial artist as the boy-turned-girl was staring at the girl-turned-cat-girl as if she were the very incarnation of ultimate terror. This response did not go unnoticed by said adversary girl as she advanced upon Ranma with her iron spatula gripped tightly in clawed hands, a feral snarl on her otherwise attractive (if bestial) features.

"Glad you noticed," the cat-girl snarled, "Now hold still...this will only hurt for a second!"

She made a powerful leap forward with her weapon raised for a downward slash, but Ranma darted away before it connected so that the iron weapon struck the ground instead of the redheaded girl and shattered the pavement like it was made of styrofoam. She recovered with a forward slash that would have taken the pig-  
tailed girl's head off had Ranma not ducked beneath her thrust, still backing away with absolute terror written large in her expression. Again and again the cat-girl whirled to attack her elusive quarry, all to no avail...right up to the point where Nabiki suddenly came to stand between them with her arms raised.

With a look of intense focus the middle Tendo sister conjured up her power and deflected the bakers peel away, knocking the cat-girl off her feet, though the latter instantly recovered in an acrobatic tumble that brought her back to her feet in no time. This was, however, enough of an interval for Nabiki to calmly reach into her book bag and pull out a curious metal rod that she had kept concealed there. With the press of a hidden stud the object telescoped out to form a pole roughly two meters long with a blowing tip at one end forming an energy-scythe, which same she brought skillfully into play, pointing it right at the other girl's breastbone as though it were a more traditional Naginata.

"Back away, kitty," Nabiki warned, "Akane...get Ranma out of here...she's obviously in no condition to protect herself."

"Why do I have to do anything for the Baka?" Akane reflexively complained, but nonetheless moved to help the terrified girl, only to find the pig-snouted boy had gotten there before her.

"NOW YOU DIE, SAOTOME!" the bestial faced boy snarled in a clearly audible manner, swinging his umbrella like a club even as the panicked girl moved instantly to avoid him.

"Hey!" Akane protested this at once, "Pick on someone your own size, you big bully!"

"Your forces appear to be in disarray, Jedi," Purge hissed in a fairly insinuating manner, "Surrender now and I may be merciful."

"Merciful?" Trieste stood relaxed and at ease, though Kasumi was mindful to keep well away from her mentor as she too prepared to draw her Light Saber in an instant, "As merciful as you and your master were when dealing with the Jedi Council? I think not."

"You are all that is left of that collection of useless old relics," Purge's tongue flickered out as he seemed to be savoring the moment, "When you die the light you serve will be extinguished, freeing me and my children to claim this planet for a glorious future. You cannot oppose me, I have anticipated your every thought and move and come prepared to make its counter."

"You believe that the Darkness can reflect the light," Trieste replied, "And you are mistaken."

"We shall see," Purge hissed, "Mu-Tsu! Taro"

All at once the winged man spread his feathered appendages wide and sprang into the air, hands blurring as he shot forward to project a series of weighted chains that struck the ground where Jedi and Padawan had been standing. Mu-Tsu made further motions with his hands and his chains snaked around like coiling tentacles and pursued his elusive quarry, and only with the greatest difficulty on their part did Trieste and Kasumi manage to avoid being ensnared, but not being maneuvered by these chains into an unfortunate position.

All at once the Minotaur-like boy appeared in the space between Trieste and Kasumi, forcing both women to hastily move to avoid him, nearly stumbling into the chains that lashed out to ensnare them, which of course forced them to draw their light sabers and employ them in a defensive manner.

"It matters not if you cut those chains," Purge crowed, "Mu-Tsu can produce more of them at will. Any object in his hands is a deadly force that can claim even the most skilled of Jedi. You haven't a prayer of defeating their combined power!"

"Perhaps," Trieste said with superhuman calm as she sliced away at several more chains that attempted to come at her from different angles, "But you'll forgive us for still trying."

"Of course," Purge grinned, "It wouldn't be as enjoyable if you didn't at least put up a struggle."

Meanwhile Nabiki was locked in a life-and-death struggle against her opponent, the dark-clad cat-faced girl who fought with a strength and fury that could easily rival the fighting prowess of Ranma. The middle Tendo girl's energy Naginata was barely able to deflect the attacks of the iron spatula that the other girl was wielding as though it were as like as an epee. Try as she might she could not regain the advantage, and steadily she was being forced back on the defensive, unable even to summon the Force to a level sufficient to retake the advantage. If anything her foe appeared to be even STRONGER with the force than Nabiki, and easily able to counter the best of her mind tricks!

And while this was going on, Akane was locked in a difficult struggle of her own against the pig-snouted wild boy, whose strength and stamina were nothing less than superhuman. Her foe did not seem as well versed in the ways of the Force as a true Force Master like herself, but his knowledge of the martial arts was considerable, and he fought with an instinctive tenacity that easily turned Akane's best efforts aside, lunging forward again and again with a relentless fury that spoke loudly of his bestial nature.

It galled Akane to have to admit it to herself, but the boy whom she was fighting was a lot better in the martial arts than herself and even seemed to rival the skills demonstrated by Ranma. It was the first time in years that Akane had met her match in such a demonstrable manner, and were it not for her ability to channel the force into her katas she might have been easily brushed aside by the boy's near-berserker fury. Also in her favor was the clear fact that this guy was not really intent on fighting her at all but was instead trying to get past Akane to deal with Ranma, which meant that he was using less than his full effort.

And of course Ranma herself was proving totally useless in the battle, huddling on the ground like a coward while the women did all the work of defending his useless hide. Trust a BOY (even one who currently looked like a girl) to cave in like some useless, quivering mound of jello. Akane did not need any man to do her fighting for her, she was a true Martial Artist, and she never let herself be intimidated in a fight no matter how skilled her opponent.

Little did Akane realize, however, that at that moment Ranma had stopped quivery and was staring at the battle raging around her with a most peculiar expression. Her blue eyes were taking on a wilder cast as fear drove down her conscious identity and replaced it with another persona. The catalyst came when she saw Nabiki go down with a stumble as the cat-girl kicked the Naginata from her fingers. When the cat-girl planted her foot on Nabiki's chest and raised her spatula to strike a blow that would no doubt have separated head from shoulders, that was the moment when something went "CLICK" in the mind of Saotome Ranma.

"Eh?" Trieste felt the sudden change in her newest of disciples and nearly broke her concentration fending off a storm of knives being hurled her way. Something was about to happen at any moment, and without a doubt its origin was none other than Saotome Ranma.

The bestial snarl was hardly needed to alert her to the sudden shift in the environment, but Purge looked up in dismay, having been too focused on the fight between his disciples and the Jedi to have caught the change until that very moment. Turning his lizard eyes towards the other end of the field of battle, he saw the redhead straightening up suddenly and raising her hands as though they were clawed, then launch herself at a surprised Kuonji Ukyo, who had only just felt the shift in the winds and paused in the act of finishing off her opponent.

For Nabiki it was an even more startling transformation, having felt disaster loom with terminal fatality pending very near in her future, only to feel the hackles go up and down her back as a force not previously suspected reared up into full life, and all at once a crimson blur obscured her vision and drove the spatula-wielding maniac immediately on the defensive!

The bestial Taro paused to watch as the redhead lit into his nominal teammate as Kuonji fought a desperate battle to pull away from the onslaught. Though she looked the part of a Cat-girl, it was the pig tailed redhead who had turned into a raging tigress with slashing claws that scored through the dark clad Chef's defenses and tore rips across her clothing. Ukyo tried to rally herself, only to feel a solid blow being landed against her peel with force enough to drive her to her knees while gritting her teeth. Another series of blows sent the dark-clad Sith Padawan skidding across the ground like a stone striking the water, leaving Ranma-chan to snarl again and vault towards the other girl with the clear intent of battering her senseless.

"WHAT?" Purge exclaimed, "How can this be happening? What madness is this? How did the boy become so powerful all of a sudden?"

"I think you've driven him well past the point of madness," Trieste noted shrewdly, "He is in a berserk frame of mind, which means he will not stop as long as he senses danger in his surroundings. I suggest you call your Padawan off while she is still in one piece."

"Curse you," Purge snarled, "Taro, fetch the girl and let us be on our way! I must rethink our battle techniques in the light of this development."

The hulking Minotaur looked as though he wanted to debate the issue, but one glance from the lizard man and he immediately obeyed, charging across the space separating himself and the snarling redhead. He arrived just as Ukyo was faltering in her defenses, clutching to a bent and battered spatula as her knees began to sag and the redhead readied herself for a final attack that would conclude the issue. Ranma hesitated when she perceived the lumbering man-brute charging down upon her, but even as she prepared to meet this new challenge the Minotaur altered the direction of his charge and instead scooped up Kuonji, slinging her over his shoulder in spite of her shouted protests.

"Hibiki-we leave now!" Purge ordered, even as the snarling Pig-boy was attempting to bring his larger mass to bear against Akane, who had both hands on her umbrella and was just barely able to hold it in place with her powers. At first the boy did not hear the order to leave, but Purge spoke again, using the Force to impress on the mind of the bestial Ryoga the displeasure of his Master, who wanted him to leave in no uncertain terms on the very instant.

"You got lucky," Ryoga snarled, then turned away from Akane, leaving the dark haired girl to stare at him in puzzlement, having gotten the weird sense that she still had not been met by the boy's full power. Clearly he had been holding back with her for some reason, for had he been fighting in earnest...well...it would have be a lot harder to defeat him, she thought to herself with a certain faint displeasure.

"We will meet again, Jedi," Purge vowed, "At a time and place of my choosing."

"We will be ready to meet you when that happens, Sith Lord," Trieste replied, "But if I must say so, you do have a very strange choice in alliances."

"Well...what do you expect me to do?" the lizard man shrugged philosophically, "Good help is hard to find, and you take what you can from what you encounter. It's not exactly like I can put a ad in a local paper saying, 'Wanted, competent fighters willing to give their souls to the Dark Side, call 911-EVIL."

"A good point," Trieste conceded, "This world does seem to lack a good registry for young people with special talents."

As Purge and his minions turned to go, Kasumi looked to her Mentor and said, "Is it wise to let them withdraw like this, Mistress?"

"It is wiser to fight a battle that you are prepared for," Trieste replied, "Wars fought without plan tend to be very messy affairs, and rarely do they get confined to just the opposing parties. Too many innocent bystanders could be harmed if we were to escalate this battle to the next logical level."

"I see," Kasumi murmured, only to blink her eyes as she turned about and exclaimed, "Oh my..."

"Hey!" Akane hastily backed away from the still-snarling Ranma, "What are you snarling at me for? I'm not one of the bad guys, you baka! Nabiki...are you injured?"

"Only my pride, Sis," Nabiki paused as she tested one leg, then winced before adding, "And my ankle...I seem to have sprained it."

Ranma turned to look at her, and for a moment Nabiki's eyes got very round as the redheaded girl approached on all fours, sniffing at Nabiki as though attempting to get her scent. Nabiki instinctively knew that she dared not move or do anything to excite the berserker girl who had just proven to be such a wildcat, seeing little of the intelligence in the eyes of the redhead that had been noticeable in Ranma, yet finding something else curiously magnetic about those eyes as Ranma brought her face within inches of Nabiki, making odd throaty noises as if to inquire on her condition.

"What's wrong with her?" Akane asked, perversely fascinated in spite of her uneasiness in seeing a berserker that close to one of her sisters, "It's like she thinks she's an animal or something..."

"Like a cat," Trieste murmured as she cautiously approached them, her movements little more than gliding over the sidewalk so as not to attract undue attention, "Didn't you notice the way she's been moving and behaving just now? Clearly young Saotome is under the impression that she is a cat, yet in this state she seems to be even more able to access her dormant powers than when she is fully conscious. She acts as if she possesses no true limitations in this state, a perfect integration of mind and body, yet governed by the Animus within her. I believe that this is a direct result of her father's odd notions about training..."

"Training?" Akane asked, "How the heck do you train somebody to act like that?"

Nabiki wanted very much to ask the very same thing, but at the moment she found the power of speech wholly deserted her, leaving her mind as empty of thought as when she was in full Satori. There was a different kind of communication currently passing between her and the girl who had just rescued her, a strange meeting of minds to which logic and reason had little congress. In dull amazement she found herself fighting the urge to reach out with a hand and caress the girl before her under the chin or behind the ears to see if such a gesture might elicit a positive reaction.

As it turned out she was beaten to the punch by Kasumi, who gently called out to Ranma by saying, "Here, kitty-kitty-kitty...come over to me and leave Nabiki-  
chan alone. No one is going to hurt you now, and we're all very glad that you could rescue my sisters."

"Hmmm?" the redheaded Cat-girl inquired, seeing Kasumi kneeling down on the ground with her lap left exposed by the way the oldest Tendo girl had composed her position. Kasumi's calming voice and outstretched hand further encouraged the redheaded girl to turn away from Nabiki and hesitantly sniff the air, catching Kasumi's scent and making a soft noise of inquiry that-while still bestial in nature-did not seem in any way unpleasant.

"Careful, Oneechan," Akane urged, "She's still got that wild look in her eyes..."

"I can see that, Akane-chan," Kasumi calmly replied, "But you're not really wild, are you? Deep inside you're still the same lonely boy who needs shelter from the harsh world that has caused you to be like this..."

Kasumi's warm and gentle voice seemed to decide the matter for the redhead, for with a single vault Ranma leaped at Kasumi, causing both Akane and Nabiki to feel a momentary jolt of fear, but for the way Ranma landed in front of the older girl and composed herself in Kasumi's lap, rubbing her face against Kasumi with a pleasant, "Meow!" before settling down and purring contentedly like the cat in whose behavior she now was fashioned.

"Oh...my!" Kasumi blinked her eyes and actually colored, then glanced down at the purring form of Ranma and had the most PECULIAR expression. After only a very brief hesitation, though, she laid a hand over Ranma's head and began petting her as a slow smile of happiness found its way over the face of the Jedi apprentice.

"Oneechan?" Akane blinked as if unable to accept what she had just seen happen.

"She'll be all right now," Kasumi said gently, "She just needs a moment to compose herself before she...oh my..." she seemed to glow warmly all over.

Nabiki's own emotional state was definitely in a state of flux as she went from concern to an unexpected stab of envy at Kasumi for turning the redheaded girl away from Nabiki. It was not like there had ever been anything to worry about, after all...just because a pig-tailed wildcat had driven off a Sith-trained martial artist with her bare hands and spared Nabiki's head from becoming lonely for her shoulders was no reason why Nabiki herself should have been afraid of her own benefactor. She could have calmed Ranma down at any time and then had the boy-turned-girl purring in her own lap, her very own purring pussy and...

Nabiki colored as she caught the drift of her own emotions, to say nothing of the double-entendre that she had just quipped to describe the current situation. What she felt was...deflated that it had been Kasumi, rather than herself, who had seemingly brought an end to the current crisis by calming down Ranma.

Just then Kuno Tatewaki burst out onto the scene with a cry of, "WHERE ARE THEY WHO DARE TO THREATEN THE LIVES OF MY TRUE BELOVED AND HER SISTERS? SHOW THEM TO ME NOW THAT I MAY SMITE THEM WITH MY RIGHTEOUS WRATH!"

"Oh great," Akane rolled her eyes, "NOW of all times he decides to show his face!"

"Now Akane," Trieste chided, turning to the boy and saying, "I'm afraid you're a bit late to help out, Kuno-san, but your desire to help us is well appreciated."

"Eh?" Tatewaki glanced around and huffed, "I see...they must have fled in terror when they heard that I, Kuno Tatewaki, would descend upon them like the vengeance of Heaven! Would that I had arrived in time to see the fear that doubtless was upon their faces. Oh...and how fares yon Nabiki? I trust she didn't fall on anyone and hurt them too badly."

"Hmph," Nabiki's expression darkened, but with an effort she resumed her calm and composed state, letting such dark emotions flow out of her with the realization that Kuno's words were less than important to her well being and mental structure.

"Nabiki is fine...she just sprained an ankle is all," Trieste replied, "Perhaps you might help us by carrying her to the infirmary so that it can be examined?"

"If that would meet with your approval, noble Sensei," Kuno bowed, only to pause as he caught sight of something else that drew his attention, "Hold...who is this who graces the lap of the beauteous Kasumi? What wondrous form is this dainty new arrival who sleeps like one innocent and newborn?"

"Oh, that's just..." Akane started to say.

"Our visiting Cousin," Nabiki hastily interjected, "She took part in the fight. Her name is...ah...Ran...Ran...ah...Ranko!"

"Ranko?" Tatewaki repeated while Akane and Kasumi turned questioning looks in Nabiki's direction, "How curious...'tis a name that befits such a wild and delicate seeming flower of unspoiled purity. Pray I hope that she did not come to some harm from the foul attack of those blackguards?"

"Oh...she's quite all right now," Kasumi reassured, "Things got a bit confusing back there, but I think it all worked out for the better."

"Better for somebody anyway," Nabiki rumbled as she touched her ankle with her fingers and took note of the fact that it was still swollen.

"Then perhaps I may carry her inside where she can be protected from the elements," Tatewaki proposed, "And then I will see to it that Nabiki gets to where she needs to go."

Nabiki wondered why the annoying pest was being so irritating today and once again had to repeat a meditative koan to prevent her doing something to the cad that Trieste definitely would not have approved of, but before she could complete the thought "Ranko" began to stir, and then in a slightly slurred voice she asked, "W-Where am I...?"

"Are you feeling better now, Ranma?" Kasumi asked, using her real name rather than the phony one that Nabiki had provided.

"Uh...I think so...I feel funny...I..." all at once Ranma sat up in Kasumi's lap and stared into the face of the older girl, then with a gasp pulled back and said, "AH-I MEAN-AH...ER...I...SORRY ABOUT THAT..."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Ranma?" Kasumi blinked her eyes in confusion.

"I...ah..." Ranma brought a hand up and started rubbing the back of her head, "I...um...didn't do nothing weird or perverted when I...ah...I mean..."

"When you were a cat?" Akane asked suggestively, "And what was the deal about that anyway, huh?"

"A cat?" Tatewaki blinked his eyes then said, "Did she just call her...Ranma?"

"Ah...Oneechan...is a little confused at the moment," Nabiki hastily spoke up, "She meant Ranko obviously...Ranma is the name of the boy who is staying at our place..."

"Staying with you?" Tatewaki's frown was like the darkening of storm clouds, "In what sense?"

"Saotome Ranma is my new student," Trieste replied, "His father and he have been on a ten year training trip and have just come back to Japan after visiting China. I thought the boy promising enough that I wanted to help shape his training into new and interesting directions...I had no idea just how interesting having him around would prove to be. There are so many surprising things that I am even now learning about him...eh 'Ranko?'"

"Ah...I guess," Ranko turned around and suddenly focused her eyes on Nabiki, saw the way the girl was fingering one foot and said, "Hey, are you all right, Nabiki? I didn't do nothing to you...or anything like that?"

"You mean other than save my life and drive off the bad guys?" Nabiki felt a warmth return to her breast as she saw and felt the honest concern in the redheaded girl's blue-eyed expression, "Thanks by the way for that."

"Ah...no problem," the redhead swallowed, them moved from Kasumi over to Nabiki and said, "How bad is the ankle?"

"It's a bit...tender," Nabiki winced, "But I think I can manage."

Ranma placed surprisingly gentle fingers on the girl's leg and lifted it up so that she could remove the slipper and sock and expose the swollen member to more critical examination. Nabiki's eyebrows rose up a notch as Ranma probed the foot without causing too much discomfort, but then her eyes got more than a fraction wider as the redhead closed her own eyes and seemed to concentrate for a moment, then ran her hands over the ankle and took several deep breaths as the Force seemed to flow through her body and into Nabiki. After only a few moments the pain subsided and the foot did not appear quite so purplish and bruised looking.

Ranma lowered the foot again, touched it a few more times then ran her hands up Nabiki's leg and seemed to locate a few nerve endings that she pressed in a very precise manner. Withdrawing those hands again the redheaded girl smiled and said, "It'll be a bit tender for a while, but you should be able to put some weight on it. I'd pack it in ice for a few more minutes to get the swelling down, or maybe use some cold water. Ah...that reminds me..." Ranma glanced down at herself and her expression was noticeably crestfallen.

"We can go inside and get you what you need...Ranko," Trieste seemed amused by the whole affair, adding slyly, "Where did you learn to heal like that?"

"Ah...well...I've learned lots of useful stuff traveling around with Pop," Ranma explained, "And it's not like we could afford to visit too many doctors..."

"I see," Trieste smiled, "Kasumi here also has a talent for healing. Perhaps you might compare notes with her to see what else you could learn from one another."

"Ah...sure," Ranma said as she got up, then offered her hand to Nabiki, "Hey, let me get you someplace where you can sit down. It don't seem right that a pretty girl should be resting on a sidewalk."

"Ah..." Nabiki stared at that hand, then at the...person it was attached to...and wondered if she had just heard right and that Ranma had just called her pretty.

"Nay, gentle maiden," Tatewaki came to stand beside them, "I will consent to carry Tendo Nabiki indoors. There is no need for you to strain yourself in any manner."

"Look pal..." Ranma was immediately irritated, but Trieste intervened again and said, "What a wonderfully noble gesture that would be, Kuno-san. I'm sure Nabiki will appreciate the kindness of your gallant assistance.

"Uh...sure," Nabiki scowled, "No problem, Teach...I mean...Sensei..."

Kasumi also rose to her feet in a fluid manner, studying Ranma and her sister, then sighing to herself as she looked at the ground with a faintly troubled expression. Akane caught the gesture and frowned, not really understanding what was going on here, but something else got her attention and she turned to Trieste to say, "By the way...who were those jerks who attacked us?"

"The one was my enemy," Trieste spoke with unusual gravity in her voice, "A Sith Lord...I've told you something about them."

"Uh...sure," Nabiki winced as she was lifted into Tatewaki's arms like the proverbial sack of potatoes, "They use the Dark side of the Force instead of the Light, right?"

"Precisely," Trieste nodded, "They are the ancient enemies to the Jedi, our dark shadow as it were, committed utterly to the cause of evil and willing to tempt and corrupt all that is pure and just into a twisted, inverted reflection of itself. He and I have clashed before and come away from the encounter just barely alive...it would seem he followed me to this world and would now perpetuate his evil by corrupting the innocent...what does surprise me is that he appears to have found allies who are hostile towards you, my dear Ranko."

"Ah...well..." Ranma scratched the back of her head again, "Wish I could say I knew what that was all about...I mean...two of those guys did seem kinda familiar, but I'd swear I never saw the others in my life."

"What have you brought down on us, Ranma?" Akane asked, forgetting herself to use the faux identity that Nabiki had crafted (causing Nabiki to roll her eyes and think sad thoughts about her two na ve sisters, both older and younger), "Are you bringing more of your troubles back with you from China?"

"Ah...whatever makes you say that?" Ranma winced, a bit too nervously to be convincing.

"Just a hunch," Akane frowned, "And the fact that two of those guys definitely did seem to know you."

"Sis, can we do this act later?" Nabiki asked, enduring to allow herself to be carried by Tatewaki, "In case anybody here has forgotten, this is supposed to be our school period and the three of us are all late for classes."

"You are a student here, Beauteous one?" Tatewaki asked as he turned a surprised look towards Ranma.

"Ah...well..." Ranma winced slightly, wondering just how she was going to be able to talk her way out of this one.

"Actually her brother is," Nabiki hastily suggested.

"Her brother?" Tatewaki asked without even looking at Nabiki.

"Ranma," Nabiki none-too-gently reminded.

"This Ranma is also your cousin?" Tatewaki this time did glance in her direction.

"Ah...no...actually..." Nabiki started to say, when she took a moment and thought about it, then decided it would be less complicated than having to rely on the truth, "Sort of..."

Kasumi sighed, her spirits somewhat deflated from what they had been mere moments before, though only Akane and Trieste seemed to notice, the latter thinking how interesting life was becoming in Nerima now that the unquantifiable and unstable element named Saotome Ranma had just been added to the mixture. Of her three main students only Akane did not seem instantly taken by the charms of the sex-changing martial artist, but then again Akane always was a more difficult convert when it came to the subject of the male of the species. Obviously she was just as confused as her older sisters when it came to classifying the nature of their new house guest, though her overt display of hostility was no doubt just a defensive measure of allowing herself distance so that she could assess the situation and decide whether Ranma was a potential friend or enemy, or just some guy she was going to have to learn to put up with, much like Kuno Tatewaki.

Of greater surprise was discovering the effect Ranma could have on her two older students, Kasumi and Nabiki. The middle child had always been a quicksilvery sort whose changeable mood swings had hampered her progress as a Jedi Force Master. Nabiki was not as much in control of her emotions as Kasumi, and that left her open to influence by the Dark Side, which Trieste often felt when the younger girl did not know that she was looking.

Kasumi, however, was an even greater surprise, for in all the time that Trieste had known her Padawan she had never seen the girl evidence the slightest interest in the young men whom she encountered. It was not that she was blind to the charms of the male of the species, nor (as in the case of Akane) that she was oriented more towards other women...it was just that Kasumi did not seem to find most men all that interesting...at least on a sexual level. Kasumi was knowledgeable about the subject of sex (Trieste had made certain her apprentice was fully knowledgeable about the biological and psychosexual aspects involved in reproduction, though courtly love was another subject altogether). Kasumi had an innocence still about the world that was altogether quite charming, and Trieste had long suspected that some portion of her sexual identity had been laid aside or wrapped in a mental chrysalis as the young girl devoted herself to fully mastering the ways of the Jedi.

Discovering that Kasumi could feel such emotions towards a younger man was an altogether unexpected development, one that promised much in the way of potential conflict between the sisters should Nabiki continue to grow more fascinated with Saotome Ranma. There was an appeal that the boy had to both sisters that was undeniable, even though he had been a factor in their lives for less than a single planetary rotation. Trieste would watch how matters would develop before deciding when and how to intervene, but something-the Force no question about it-cautioned her that difficult times were ahead, and if Ranma's recent display of berserker fury were indication it meant that Trieste had her work cut out for her in spades.

She just wondered what part the Sith had to play in all of this, and what dark sub-currents of emotion had been stirred by Darth Purge to turn at least two people roughly the same age as Ranma against him. It was a matter that needed further careful study, but the likeliest source for discovering the truth there had to be with the boy's father.

Her path thus clearly resolved, Trieste walked Kasumi home from school then went in search of a certain shapeshifting Panda, intending to wrest the truth out of the man by whatever means necessary, just so long her methods fell just short of the Dark Side (and by that Trieste was prepared to make concessions)...

Kuonji Ukyo screamed in fury as she struck at a large rock with the edge of her bent and damaged baker's peel and shattered it into powder, her wrath so intense that she was genuinely seething with emotions and needed to vent her anger in some sort of destructive manner.

"THAT JACKASS!" she snarled, "When I see him again I'm going to hammer him into a pulp! How dare he do something like that to ME of all people!"

"Calm down," Taro urged the black-clad Chef, "So the creep got the better of you, he was just lucky. Something flipped his switch back there otherwise you would have had him."

"That was pretty surprising," Mousse remarked, "I'd only heard about cases like that in legend...some kind of forbidden teaching method that instills a animalistic fury in whoever is hapless enough to master the training. The technique can't even be accessed by the normal human consciousness and only works if you go berserk, at which point you don't feel any pain, fear or hesitation, just a pure, blind killing frenzy in which both friends and foes become one and the same."

"Interesting," Purge remarked, "I, too, have heard of such forbidden techniques, but they are dangerous to the practitioner and often result in death from multiple injuries and exhaustion. The boy is obviously of a much hardier constitution that I had given him credit...either that or his teacher was a complete idiot and was totally mindless about the potential consequences."

"That about sums up his father," Ryoga growled, "Ranma learned from a devout coward, which is why he runs away from a manly fight. What I remember of Saotome Genma was that he was both stupid and lazy and couldn't be trusted anywhere around your wallet. The man had no honor whatsoever, which is why his son's such a jerk, unworthy of calling himself a martial artist."

The others at the camp stared at the normally taciturn boy with dubious expressions, wondering at just how pathetic a man would have to be to be labeled as "Stupid" by a Hibiki.

"Master," Mousse spoke up, "The Jedi we fought were indeed quite skilled, but we could have taken them easily. Why did you call off the fight when you did? Was it just because of that Nyaniichuan-cursed berserker?"

"Understand," Purge growled, "We did NOT run from that encounter. An unexplained factor can prove devastating to even the best crafted of attack plans. The Saotome boy could have proven to be troublesome in subduing, and I want you all to be at your best when we make our real move against the Jedi. That was just the warning shot fired across they bow...the next time we will do more than simply rattle their cages, if you are prepared to play your part."

Taro grinned, always ready to stir up trouble, "Count me in...I can't wait to smash that geek into a puddle. The frails are nothing really...just a bunch of weak skirts. Give me half a chance and I'll bet I could turn that dark haired one over to our side."

"Don't flatter yourself, big guy," Ukyo growled as she surveyed her damaged weapon, then carefully pressed her fingers against the dents and forced the metal back into position, "It'll take more than just your manly charms to win them over. I'm only sorry I lost the opportunity to take out that one girl with the short hair...there's something about her I don't like, and she was standing way too close to Ranma for my liking."

"Are you by any chance jealous, Apprentice?" Purge smiled craftily, always one to be amused by mammalian sexual behavior.

"JEALOUS?" Ukyo seethed, "Of that scrawny little piece? No way! She wasn't even a serious opponent when we fought, she barely even had enough control to slow me down...although I do have to admit that I wouldn't mind seeing her head decorating the end of the spatula. I can think of a good place on my mantle where it would fit in just nicely."

Purge hid the look of mirth that was in his eyes, feeling justifiable pride in the confidence radiated by his star pupil. The others were jealous of Kuonji's senior status and openly competed to "take her down a peg," but none could deny that Ukyo as the best fighter among them and the strongest in the ways of Force Mastery. The girl was indeed quite a treasure, and if she survived her training she would make one gloriously wicked Sith Lord.

If only the girl did not show that annoying streak of tenderness beneath her exterior of steel-hard battle fury. Purge had been working to eradicate what was left of the girl's softer emotions, but had not yet succeeded in bringing her all the way over into the Dark Side.

"Ranma..." the boy named Ryoga snarled as he balled his fists in renewed fury, "Just you wait...the next time we meet will be your last moments on this earth! You won't be defeating me with any tricks in your arsenal, and berserker or not, I'll still crush you like a grapefruit!"

So saying he picked up a stone and squeezed it until it broke into so much loose gravel. Indeed, Ryoga had an even greater potential for Force Mastery than Kuonji...if only he was not so pathetically stupid. Purge could do a lot with such an apprentice if the Hibiki youth had the brains to match his incredible raw power and dark emotions.

Mousse was a more cautious sort as he said, "Don't get too cocky...we can't afford another slip up like the last time. These people may be weaker than us but they're still dangerous and we won't have the element of surprise working in our favor."

"Maybe so," Taro admitted, "But we're still gonna stomp all over those losers, and then I'll force them to tell me everything they know about that perverted Grand Master of that school of theirs...that skunk who founded their 'Anything Goes' system."

"You mean the guy who named you Pantyhose?" Ukyo smirked and was rewarded by seeing the flash of anger in the older boy's eyes as Taro half-rose to his feet, intending to teach her some "manners."

"You can worry about a name," Mousse said, "I just want to know what that Saotome did with my Shampoo to make her leave me like that. As soon as I learn that you can do whatever you want with the guy. I'll take Shampoo...and then I'll help bring her over to the Dark Side. You'll see what a powerful ally she can be, Master."

"So you have informed me," Purge nodded to himself, thinking privately that a warrior with the kinds of skills he had heard described was indubitable an even more promising candidate for training in the dark side than this half-blind, lovesick fool whose main talent was his mastery of Hidden Weapons. At times the Chinese boy could become so annoying with is obsessions that it was all that Purge could do to keep from ordering the other students to beat him senseless...an order that would hardly need to be given on most occasions as it was far more likely that Purge would have to restrain them.

"Master," Ukyo addressed herself to her trainer, "When do you plan on making your next attack? I hope it won't be too long, I'd like another crack at those Tendo weaklings."

"Aren't you afraid of being driven off again?" Ryoga asked, "Ranma sure had you on the ropes the last time."

"Sugar," Ukyo flashed a dangerous look in the boy's direction, "The next time I won't even give him the chance to lose his composure. The only thing that prevented me from flattening him this time was that punk girl getting in my way, and she won't even be a factor when I get my hands on Ranma..."

"Hmmm..." Purge frowned as a sudden thought crossed his mind, "I wonder...that one boy who attacked the apprenticed Jedi using a weakened version of the force...he seems to be a figure of some influence about his campus. Hmmmm..."

"Are you thinking about recruiting him, Boss?" Taro asked.

"Not just yet," Purge mused, "Though I admit it is an intriguing possibility. What I was thinking, though, is that we could gain more ground by infiltration...obtain much-needed information about our enemies that we could never hope to learn from outside. Perhaps if we sent one of us undercover to investigate and learn all that we can about the Tendos and their allies, the Saotomes..."

"Undercover?" Mousse asked, "But won't they recognize us...or at least feel our presence?"

"Not necessarily, though it is hardly relevant to the matter," Purge replied, "The one whom I would be sending is fully capable of passing undetected in a crowd...and even if they do recognize you, they will not take direct action, for that is not the way of the Jedi. Your presence would be as much of a challenge to them as any bold statement, and it would be interesting to see what they do when you walk freely among them."

"Me?" Ukyo blinked her eyes, "No offense, Sugar, but if Ranchan sees me again..."

"That would be simple," Purge smiled, "You are used to going disguised as a boy, and few seem able to penetrate your disguise unless you want them to, so...I'm going to have you enroll as a student in their High School. You will be admitted to the same classroom as the Force Master and your quarry, and there you can learn what we need to know in order to eventually destroy them."

"Sounds good to me," Taro grinned, "It's sneaky, duplicitous, treacherous and underhanded...I've really got to hand it to you this time, Boss."

"Thank you," Purge smiled, "One does try to rise to the occasion."

"Me...in the same class as Ranchan and that Jedi-wannabe?" Ukyo's expression darkened into a smile that had no more warmth than a piece of flint, "When do I get started?"

"As soon as I make all the necessary arrangements," Purge responded with a crafty leer, "Soon, Trieste...soon you will learn what the terror of the Dark Side is truly like...as I strip your students from you one step at a time...until it is only you and me...as it was meant to be from the very beginning..."

The Dark Alliance all shared that same smile, even if for different reasons. Each of them had a grudge to bear against either the Saotomes or the Tendos, and striking at the heart of both families was a thought near and dear to their collective hearts. "Soon," each would vow in silence as they reveled in their dark and twisted emotions, "Soon..." knowing that their respective forms of vengeance was within their grasp as they made their plans of evil in the silence of their campfire perched on the hills upon the outskirts of Nerima...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/The Light and the Dark sides of Life: shadowmane

What evil plans have the Sith for our heroes and heroines, and can the Jedi triumph against the darkness that weighs within their own hearts? Nabiki and Kasumi take stock of their recent encounters and mutual engagement to Saotome Ranma while Trieste has a "word" with a certain panda about fish sausages and cats, and Soun reflects upon his life with Kimiko and the precious years that they have shared together with hopes that the Anything Goes school will survive the recent challenges from enemies past and present. Be with us next time for: "A Time of Light and Shadow," or "The Jedi Recycled." Be there!

X

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	4. Chapter 4

JediKasumi04

Jedi Kasumi:

Episode Four A New Martial Artist.

By Jim Robert Bader &amp;  
Brandon Kelley

(Ideas and Inspirations provided by Rumiko Takahashi and George Lucas, with Special credits going to my friend Brandon, who suggested and wrote a good portion of this chapter)

The Series So Far:

It is a time of great joy in the Tendo Home. Kasumi Tendo, eldest daughter of the Tendo clan, has recently returned home from a final training trip with her sensei, The Jedi Mistress Trieste. She is now fully trained and ready to undertake the trials to become a full Jedi Knight. After this announcement, a young girl and a Panda arrive at the Tendo home. It is discovered that these are in fact, the cursed forms of Ranma Saotome, and his father, Genma. Trieste, immediately intrigued by the boy, pits him in a sparring match against her three students, Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane. The level of Natural ability shown by Ranma, and the level of foolishness of his father prompts Trieste to immediately co-opt the boy as a student of the Force, in the Tendo School of Jedi-Kempo. Following that, Soun Tendo informed the four teens that He and Genma have engaged Ranma to one of the Tendo girls...

On his first day of class with the Tendo sisters, Ranma and the others encounter a mysterious Sith Lord named Darth Purge, who has been recruiting a team of Powerful young martial artists to serve as his minions in his quest to destroy Trieste, the last surviving member of the now-defunct Jedi Council. Among these is a young girl named Kuonji Ukyo, whom Purge has taken on as his apprentice due to her dark obsession with young Saotome Ranma. Ukyo and the other youths are revealed to all have weirdly modified Jusenkyo curses, but when Ranma is cornered by a humanoid cat-girl Ukyo, his Neko-phobia triggers the onset of the Nekoken and he manages to drive away the Sith before they can harm any of the Tendo sisters. It is now the night after the battle and some members of the Tendo and Saotome household are fitfully resting, unable to find the sleep they crave as dark shadows haunt them from the deepest recesses of their dreams and imagination...

Twin pillars of light erupted with a snap-hiss, one blue and one red. Moving at near the speed of thought, the blades crashed together with a thunderous roar. Ranma stared hard and saw that the blades were wielded by people, dancing shadows that defied his every attempt to discern them. The duel was as intense as it was graceful. Purely as a martial artist, Ranma was in awe. Even though they used weapons, something he personally disdained, their speed and reflexes spoke of training that made them equally formidable unarmed. The man wielding the blue blade shouted at his opponent.  
"I'm begging you! Stop! It doesn't have to be this way! Please, let her go!" Ranma gaped. He knew that voice. Suddenly, he could see the man. It was him! Older, to be sure, but aside from the fact that he was wearing a black variant of his favorite shirt, detail for detail, it was him. The opponent was also drawn into focus, but Ranma still couldn't see him, swathed as he was, head to toe in black robes.

"You will taste the power of the dark side," the black robed man asserted grimly. He and Ranma's older counterpart traded blows for a few more moments, and then and opening appeared in the black robed man's iron defenses. At the same moment the older Ranma noticed it as well. Suddenly, Ranma was seeing through the eyes of his older self. A burst of anger surged through him as this dark man who could not be reasoned with. With blinding speed, he stabbed at the man's unprotected belly.

"An opening!" he cried. The energy blade stuck true, and the dark man fell without a sound. The hood of the dark man's robe fell away, and Ranma was staring into the face of his father. Genma Saotome lay bleeding at his feet, and out of the blackness that surrounded them, a wizened old troll approached, his battle aura gleaming with the darkness.

"Well done! Now you have taken you father's place at my side!" The tiny old man cackled, his laughter growing louder and louder as the darkness formed prison bars around him. Finally, Ranma screamed, the last wail of a doomed soul.

"Waaaa!" Ranma snapped awake, a cold sweat chilling him and panting deeply as he took in his surroundings. It was the same room that he'd been given by Mrs. Tendo earlier that day. No little troll, and his father, was right beside him, and, to judge by the snoring, very much alive. Ranma shook his head wearily.

"Oh, man!" he murmured softly, "That's it! No more eating anything that Akane chick cooks before bedtime!"

Genma snored in agreement., but then again eating anything prepared by the youngest Tendo sibling was an exercise in peril, as both men had learned to their utter dismay earlier in the evening.

Sleeping was not looking like a very good option. Ranma was too worked up over the fight earlier in the day, and the persistent and very annoying sense that at least two of his sparring partners had been known to him from some prior occasion. Having been gifted from birth with a near-perfect power of total recall it was bugging the hell out of him that he couldn't place either their names or their faces. They had sure seemed to know him, however, and were angry about something, which meant it was no idle question to know who they were and what their beef with him might be, especially since it had involved the Tendo sisters and had nearly spelled the ruin of at least one of them, a girl who had given Ranma no cause to wish her ill...and much to the contrary of that!

Of course the long list of people that he and his father might have offended given their life on the open road of the past decade did seem to suggest a near infinite number of possibilities, none of them pleasant. His father had a way of getting on the bad sides of a great number of parties whom it might not have been too wise to upset, but trust the old man to serve as a magnet for other peoples' ire, or to drag everyone he knew into the picture...a tendency that Ranma dreaded inheriting from his father.

"This ain't no good," said Ranma to himself as he got up off his futon and pulled on his pants and shirt intending to get a work out, "A need to unwind...hope nobody minds me getting in some extra practice."

He slipped from the room, all but unnoticed, but then again his father would have slept through an air raid siren. Ranma needed time to think, something his father had never specified in training, let alone practiced in life and for that Ranma suspected he would need a different form of training, perhaps one that this Trieste character had to offer...

Nabiki tossed and turned in a futile attempt to get back to sleep. She was tense and admitted it had something to do with recent events concerning a certain houseguest. She glanced at her alarm clock, deeply irritated to see that it was three in the morning, which left her disgusted. And on a school night too! It was not the kind of thing a young girl needed to have to endure when her almost perfect attendance record had been shattered the previous day by some overly rude people, one of whom had attempted to kill her in a very rude manner.

There was something about that dark-clad, spatula-wielding girl that disturbed her greatly, and not just because this Kuonji Ukyo was the apprentice of a Sith Lord, which by itself was rather alarming!

She had been trained in the ways of the Force from a very tender age, and quite early on discovered that her particular talents as an Force adept leaned toward foresight and information, often occurring in the shape of bizarre dreams that she didn't always know how to interpret. They were handy sometimes, but often they disturbed her greatly. Partial knowledge of future events could at times be profitable and useful, and it also tended to give her mere snatches and glimpses of things that had yet to happen. Sometimes she could see and prevent a tragedy from occurring, for the future was infinitely malleable...yet other times her best efforts just wouldn't avert a speeding train from finding its target. It created a burden of responsibility that she did not always cherish having, and yet under present circumstances what her instincts were telling her was that Kuonji Ukyo was bad news, both for herself and for a boy named Saotome Ranma.

She finally gave in and decided she wasn't going to get anymore sleep. She lay spread eagle on the bed for a moment, just taking in the gentle noises of the household at night. After a moment, she began a Jedi meditation exercise, hoping to regain the lost snatches of her sleep, and as she listened to the sounds of the night, she became accustomed to them, slowly filtering them out one by one until they formed a gentle pattern...when suddenly, she came across a sound that she couldn't so easily identify. It was very faint, and she almost missed it, a gentle thumping on her ceiling in a maddeningly familiar rhythm. She listened carefully and finally identified the discordant sound as...Footsteps?

What in the world? Her first thought was that it was a thief, but after a few moments discarded the notion. If it was, she mused, he'd be inside by now, not...dancing? On the roof? No...wait...that's not dancing at all. It sounds like...practice katas? At a ridiculously high speed, too. Hmm. This bears investigation.

Moving silently, she got up from her bed, and made her way into the hall, taking care not to make too much noise that would wake up the rest of her family. She crept down the stairs to the patio doors and silently slid them open, smiling a little and closing her eyes for a moment as the cool night air washed over her face and body. She padded out into the yard so that she could see the roof of the house and-sure enough-on the roof of the Tendo home, backlit by the full moon, was their troublesome houseguest, Saotome Ranma.

He was moving through kempo katas at a speed that made Nabiki envious, but silently, not making a single harsh sound to disturb the night. Nabiki watched the martial artist with admiration, thinking (He's good. Very good. The fact that he can do such advanced katas so fast means he's much, much better than he let on during our match the day before yesterday . He probably would have beaten me if I hadn't used the Force...hmmmm...)

Struck with sudden curiosity she reached into her connection with the Force, gasping a little as her senses deepened, washing the last remnants of sleepiness from her mind, and probed the newest guest of the Tendo home. He seemed agitated about something, pouring all his concentration and effort into the practice forms, his living Force blazing with power. She was taken aback by the sheer brightness of his aura, of the intensity of his spirit, the way his every move seemed to flow one to the other in perfect coordination. The only other person Nabiki knew who's living Force even compared to his was Kasumi. But, by contrast, her older sister seemed to glow with the Force like a soft star, rather than blaze with it like a living inferno!

Yet such was the strength within the Tendo girls' new iinazuke. Nabiki shook her head in small wonder. If nothing else, he'd make life interesting. She decided to join him on the roof and gathering the Force under her, then channeled it through her legs and leaped high into the air, landing lightly on the roof with a grace that was nearly catlike.

She thought that she had been silent, but the moment her feet touched the roof, Ranma halted his practice and whirled around in a defensive stance. She could not help admiring the profile he presented her, highlighted as he was against the brightness of the moonlight. Rather than apologize for surprising him, though, she waved to him cheerfully and said, "Hey there, getting in some late night practice?"

"Uh...hi," he said, relaxing and reaching behind his head to scratch at the base of his pigtail. "I-I hope I didn't wake ya or nothin'," he told her apologetically. Nabiki waved her hand dismissively.

"Not at all. I couldn't sleep, and I thought I heard something out here so I came to see what it was," she smiled at him pleasantly and Ranma nodded.

"Yeah," he said wryly, "Me neither. I was kinda wound up so I came out to practice in the dojo, but Trieste-sensei is in there. I think she's sleepin' or something,"  
"Oh, she's probably meditating," Nabiki explained, "Communing with the Force, she calls it. She likes to do it after she brings oneechan back from training trips."

"Really?" Ranma looked interested, "Have you ever gone on one?" he asked.

Nabiki gave him a strange look, "No. Why?"

Ranma's face fell a little, "Oh, Nothin'. It's just...well she just 'claimed' me as her student two days ago and I was wondering if you could tell me what the training she teaches was like,"

"It's hard. Very hard," Nabiki told him with a slight grin, "And definitely not for the faint of heart."

Ranma just shrugged, unfazed, "Betcha Pops has her beat in the toughness department," he said offhandedly.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "I'll take that bet," she told him gleefully.

"Huh?" he looked puzzled, and Nabiki found she liked his slightly befuddled expression.

"I'll bet you Aunt Trieste's training was tougher than your dad's. If I win, I want to spar with you. For real," Nabiki winked in a friendly-if-suggestive manner.

Ranma blinked, and colored slightly, "Whaddaya mean? We already..." He began, but Nabiki cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Ranma, You put a lot of effort into that little...match we had, and it was convincing visually, but I think you were holding back some. No," she said, holding up a hand to forestall the argument he was about to make, "Don't say it. If you lied, I'd be able to tell. The Force is a lot more than a fighting tool, you know. Just agree. You've done it once, and nothing bad happened, right?" Ranma looked down at his toes.

"I can't hit girls!" he murmured in protest. Nabiki shrugged.

"Who's asking you to hit me? I just want to spar. You can tap if you want. I just want to see how good you really are," she told him. He looked up, relieved to be offered a way out.  
"You don't want me to 'take you seriously as a martial artist'?" he asked, sourly quoting Akane's muttered complaint after her bout with the sex-changing martial artist. Nabiki rolled her eyes.  
"That girl. Leave it to Akane to raise the bar for masochists everywhere," she said dryly, "I'm not stupid, Saotome-kun. If you managed to connect with a punch, that'd be it for me. I got a good estimate of how strong you are when you were sparring with Kasumi, and that match with the Sith pretty much clenched it. A solid, full strength hit would probably cripple me," she said seriously, "But I'm not asking for you to beat me up. I just want to spar," Ranma narrowed his eyes. She made an awfully convincing argument.

"I'll agree on one condition," he said finally, meeting her gaze for the first time that evening. A nervous shiver tried to run through his body, but he stifled it. She looked back, and smiled a bit.  
"Which is?"

"You tell me why," he said flatly

Nabiki thought about avoiding the question, but realized in that moment, just why she wanted to spar, and she answered the blunt question honestly.

"I think I can learn from you," she said quietly. Ranma blinked, then grimaced.

"Um, Nabiki, we fought already and we tied. You're as good as me," he ground out.

She tilted her head, "Yeah, right. How did you get that idea...Oho...Ranma. Listen, It may seem that way, but believe me, without the Force to help us, well...our martial arts are good, but nowhere near as good as yours. You are easily the best martial artist in the house. Probably the city, from what I can tell," she explained, "The Force is the only reason I can fight on your level. I've trained a lot in martial arts, but nowhere near as much as you. Same for Akane and Kasumi. You're training has been on the road from...what? Age six?" she told him, exasperated. At his nod, she went on, "Hell, for sheer experience, you've got us all beat. Combined, probably. And, to top it off, you have natural ability as well," A gentle probe of his thoughts and she deflected the objection even before it came. "And no, I'm not trying to make you feel better. Although it's cute that you took losing to Kasumi so personally. Kasumi has finished her Jedi Training. The Force lets her see every possible move you might make, and at a speed that gives her plenty of time to counter. Didn't you notice that her combinations weren't as elaborate as yours?"

Ranma looked stunned, "I-I never thought of that," he admitted.

Nabiki shrugged, "I've had a lot of time to figure this kind of stuff out," she told him seriously, then grinned, "So you agree?" she asked.

"Well...yeah," he conceded slowly, "But then she never had to go berserk to win a fight like I did yesterday..."

"I was just getting to that," Nabiki informed him, "And by the way...thanks for doing it, you probably saved my life, which makes you pretty much a hero in my eyes. Am I wrong about that?"

Ranma had to think about that one. Suddenly, he remembered how they'd arrived at that point in the conversation.  
"Sure, I guess so," he reluctantly conceded, "Just so you know, though, I ain't hittin' ya. But I'll take you on. For real. But what if I win this little story contest?"

Nabiki looked thoughtful at that, "Well, I doubt that you will, but...what do you want?"

Ranma puzzled over that for a moment, then snapped his fingers, "I don't really know," he told her. "How about you buy me a dinner?"

Nabiki grinned impishly, her smoky brown eyes locking with his clear blue ones, "Why, Saotome-kun! Are you asking me on a date?" She teased. Ranma choked.

"Gaak! That's not what I meant!" He said hastily. Nabiki grinned. This guy was too cute when he was embarrassed.

"So what DID you mean?" she laughed. Ranma calmed down a little.  
"I just meant you can buy me a meal, that's all," he shrugged, "I don't have to choose an iinazuke yet," he added nervously. "I hope you're not mad at me about that," he mumbled.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "Why would I be mad at you? You didn't set this up. Our fathers did."

"Yeah," he sighed, "But...I mean, well, an ordinary guy might be ok, but who want's to be engaged to a freak like me?" Nabiki frowned.

"Freak?" she asked archly. Ranma looked sideways at her.

"Um, My curse?" he asked, thinking, Did she forget?

"What about it? Do you think there's something wrong with girls?" Ranma blanched.  
"NO!" he blurted, "Not for people who were born that way, I mean. But someone who switches back and forth? Why would any girl marry a guy who's not a whole man?"

Nabiki pondered that a moment. She had to be careful here because getting this curse had obviously made hash of Ranma's ego.

"Ranma, the curse isn't really that bad. I admit, I was a little freaked out when I first thought about it, but I think I could handle it," she commented thoughtfully, "That is, if we did get married, I mean," she said hurriedly, realizing how the comment sounded. Ranma nodded, apparently, (to her relief) missing the possible interpretation of what she'd said. "That isn't what bothers me about the situation. It's the iinazuke thing. I mean, I'm only seventeen, and Kasumi isn't much older. It's kinda hard to grasp your parents wanting to marry you off this young you know?"

Ranma nodded. This, he could understand.

"Yeah. You guys probably wanted some say in who ya got chained to, too, huh?" Nabiki grinned.  
"Not quite as delicately as I'd have put it, Ranma, but yes, that's right. Not that you're not nice enough, but I at least would have liked a chance to get to know you first. Hell, even an omiai would have been nice," Ranma nodded.

"That sounds like something civilized people do," he commented. "Pop an' I don't exactly fall into that category," Nabiki grinned at the self-mocking tone as Ranma continued, "But, you haven't answered the question, though," he commented.

She frowned absently, "What?... Oh. The meal. You're forgetting that I've seen you eat, Ranma-kun," she informed him, not noticing she'd begun using a more intimate form of address. "No one has that much money," Ranma looked back at her with a skeptical glance, grinning lopsidedly.  
"Well, a minute ago, you acted as though you winning was a sure thing," he sniffed, "Change your mind already?"

Nabiki narrowed her eyes, "Alright, you're on," she accepted, although the back of her mind was screaming, (I've got a bad feeling about this bet...!)

Tendo Kimiko found her own sleep was disturbed by the thoughts that flowed through her mind like quicksilver, giving her little cause for rest as she reflected upon the story that she had heard told to her when Trieste and the children had returned home from school prematurely. The realization that enemies of the Jedi had threatened the lives of her children was enough to set any self-respecting mother on edge, and but for the intercession of fate at least one of her daughters might not have been returning safely to her doorstep.

It was a sobering thought to realize how close the veil of mortality might be breached, but then again Kimiko had grown used to thinking of the fragility of life, having come so close to losing hers when her cancer had been discovered. But for Trieste's advanced medical knowledge she would have been taken from her family and never had the chance to see her daughters blossom out into beautiful young women.

She did not hold it against Trieste that an enemy from her past was in Japan and apparently training gifted young people to be ruthless killers set on destroying all traces of the Jedi on the Earth. It was not exactly the sort of thing for which Trieste could be blamed, and in any event the true wrong was with the evil ones who called themselves the Sith, who were intent on infecting their poisonous philosophy on the people of this planet. Whoever this Darth Purge was, he clearly was an enemy to life itself, and thus an enemy to all who lived, be they Jedi or ordinary human.

Kimiko was Samurai enough to understand the inevitability of force encountering opposing force, of Yang being opposed by the Yin and vice versa. Evil was not a part of nature, but rather a result of the flaws inherent in life itself. The Cancer that had been in her was an example of a force growing silent and pervasively to corrupt a healthy system. Such evil had to be opposed by a force for good, and the Jedi were by nature such healers, undeniably the cure to many of life's afflictions. Trieste was a teacher and a healer, and a very good friend of those who loved their lives and cherished each moment of their existence. Such a one could never be held at fault for having enemies, and much to the contrary, it was her enemies who were to be pitied.

Kimiko was proud of her daughters and the progress they had made under Trieste's advanced training. Having been the beneficiary of even a little of what Trieste had to offer, Kimiko was aware of her daughters every moment of her existence, could feel the way the Force flowed through them and how strong they each were in its wonder and practical uses.

There was Kasumi, her eldest, the pride and joy of Kimiko's existence who was a warrior and a healer in all the areas that truly mattered. She was delighted on seeing how the lovely woman that Kasumi had become was blossoming with the awakening of interest in the boy named Saotome Ranma. Kasumi had such strength of mind and character that Kimiko knew she would make a good wife for some lucky man, and how fortunate for Genma's boy to be the first to have attracted her interest. Kasumi was still a bit na ve in the ways of the world and doubtless had only the most superficial grasp of what it meant to be in love. (Ah, my daughter...if you only knew the grand adventure that awaits you...)

Of course there was also Kimiko's other two children to consider, especially Nabiki, whose interest in Ranma was no less intense than Kasumi's, and unlike her older sister Nabiki did indeed seem to have a clue as to what sexual attraction could portend, though in other respects she was just as innocent as Kasumi. Even now Kimiko could feel the warmth of her middle daughter, the glow of her light as she basked in the company of a boy she found enormously attractive, and a swelling of pride filled Kimiko's breast as sensing Nabiki reaching out to another person, of empathizing with a boy she had only just meant and forging the first tentative strands of a friendship that could grow into something else far sweeter than she could imagine. Nabiki was the clever child, the one who was the thinker in the family, and often this made her difficult to approach as many people found that very intimidating in a woman. Nabiki's gift at precognition tended to make her seem odd to the majority of her peerage, so finding a boy who wasn't intimidated or turned off by her perceptions was a definite plus that could well enable Nabiki to grow as both a person and a woman.

Such a pity this would mean an inevitable conflict between the sisters, but that, too, fit the pattern of the Force and would cause each person to grow separately in their own individual manner. She hoped that it would not cause a rift between her daughters, but it was for Kasumi and Nabiki to find their own way, and all Kimiko could do would be to stand by and support them, offering what advice she could as the two stumbled their way through that most difficult of all passages for a woman, the transition to full adulthood.

Of course there was also Akane to consider, but her youngest did not seem to view Ranma in any favorable way as a potential love interest. There was envy and a certain hidden appreciation for the talents that young Saotome possessed which would-perhaps in time-allow these two to become tentative friends, or perhaps merely friendly rivals. Kimiko remembered enough of her own girlhood to recall what rivalries were like, and how she herself had been so intent on proving her worth as every bit equal to the boys in her classes. It had been that drive to excel that had brought her to the military and earned her the wings she once bore as a fighter pilot in the Self Defense forces. She had sacrificed a prominent military career to undertake the burdens of a family life but she had no regrets over what might have been. Being a mother had been the greatest adventure of her life, and married life had suited her beyond her wildest imagination. Life with Soun was good, and it had allowed her to broaden her Martial Arts studies, both armed and unarmed, especially her mastery of the Naginata, a skill greatly enhanced by the teachings of Trieste.

Kimiko thought again of her dearest friend and helpmate. Trieste was not in her room, not even in her bed or the bed that Kimiko shared with Soun, and her absence was very much felt at this particular moment. Kimiko knew that her beloved houseguest had felt the burden of the attack against her students as a personal affront to her honor and would be contemplating what measures she could hope to undertake in order to insure their future protection. Kimiko felt the Jedi's presence in the dojo and knew that Trieste was meditating on the past, present and future. Things recently learned from Saotome Genma had caused a stir in all the family, more for what the man did not say as what he had admitted to under close interrogation.

Kimiko wondered what to make of Genma, a man whom she had known off-and-on for close to twenty years, yet whom she had never truly learned to warm up to...at least not to the same extent as her husband. Soun regarded Genma as the next best thing to a brother, and for his sake Kimiko would put up with a great deal...but hearing about the travails the burly man had put his son through...that made the mother in Kimiko want to trade places with her military persona. Captain Kimiko would have kicked the man's behind royally and throw him out of the house on general principles were she to be calling the shots here, and at the very least it was all she could do not to order the man thrown into the brig...reminding herself that the Tendo house did not have a brig and thus no way to incarcerate the disreputable fellow.

Busting him down to the level of a private was too good for such a man in Kimiko's not-too-humble opinion, but the next best thing had been Trieste's declaration that she would be assuming the burden of Ranma's training and displacing Genma's parental supervision. The man would still be able to bully and berate his son when they sparred in practice but never again impose his will like a tyrant. Kimiko's heart went out to Ranma, a boy who very much needed a friend and perhaps even a mother, and adopting him into their family was only the least consideration she might spare for a boy who would one day be a husband to at least one of her daughters.

And that prompted another thought that had been nagging Kimiko for the last two days since the arrival of the Saotome...where was Nodoka, her old friend whom she had not seen in ages? Not since shortly after their two weddings, during which they each had grown concerned with their own affairs, had the two of them been able to meet and exchange pleasantries. Nodoka had been such a tower of strength in their youth, a good friend with a strong sense of loyalty and honor. Had something changed in her since her marriage to Genma? Was she even still alive, or had she pined away in sorrow waiting for her husband to return from his training mission? Kimiko thought on this for a long, drawn out moment then felt a very faint spark emanating at a great distance. Yes...Nodoka was still alive, but she was lonely and wandering in solitary isolation. Nodoka was looking for her son and husband...the Force told her this much, and at once Kimiko felt her heart go out in longing for their long-ago friendship.

This decided the matter for Kimiko...first thing she rose up in the morning she was going to find out all she could about where Nodoka and Genma had been staying. It was long since time that the two of them were reunited, and Nodoka deserved to learn the truth about her son and husband, what they had been doing while apart from her, and with mother and son reunited the influence of the father might even be notably lessened. Ranma deserved no less than to know his mother was still alive, that she still loved him, and Nodoka would no doubt be overjoyed to learn that her son was to be engaged to one of Kimiko's daughters. Kimiko smiled at the thought of this and allowed these emotions to soothe her troubled mind so that she could drift back to sleep and dream the thoughts of a happy union. Soon their families would indeed be united, whether through Nabiki or Kasumi, and with motherly pride she wished her girls a good hunting with hopes that the future would be kind them both.

If only it were not for this nagging, troublesome feeling at the corner of her mind...the image of two other young girls...one of the Light, the other of the Darkness, who stood at opposing quarters as if to challenge the Tendo claim to the boy named Ranma. The Force was strong in both women, and beyond doubt they each would present an alternative future of possibilities, but whether good or ill was beyond Kimiko's knowing. What she knew was that in time the future would reveal itself...and then they would do what needed to be done, the Force willing, and the future itself always in motion, beyond even the knowing of the Jedi...

As early morning rose on the Tendo dojo, the first creeping rays of sunlight found Trieste meditating on the bare wooden floor. As the Jedi mistress contemplated the eddies and ripples of the Force swirling around her she allowed her mind to dwell on the problem child that was of Ranma Saotome.

As one of two guests who would be residing at the dojo for the immediate future, it seemed portentous to discover that the boy had such enormous, unexpected potential. When she had first come to the Tendo household, ten years before, she'd been a relative stranger in their midst, but Soun Tendo had repeatedly sought out her advice, and, in turn, spoke of his personal hopes and dreams in a way that Trieste was sure was only exceeded by the intimacy with which he treated his wife. As a result, she had known about this engagement from nearly the beginning. She had reasoned that if Jedi were selected and training begun for the most part before they reached six months of age, marriage contracts were a reasonable, if peculiar arrangement for young children. Soun had seemed happy with the arrangement, and Kimiko was agreeable that one of her daughters would fulfil the pledge to marry a Saotome and preserve the traditions of the Anything Goes system.

Then, two days back, Trieste had met Ranma.

With ten years to grow accustomed to the idea that one of her three young students would marry a boy they had never met she was not so surprised upon learning that the boy in question was himself ignorant of his father's arrangements. Even given that she had realized almost at once that far more time than a decade would be needed to simply become accustomed to the reality that was Saotome Ranma. The boy was a mass of contradictions, both brave and insecure, confident and shy, and...boy or girl. Trieste grimaced over that, not so much in dismay as in amazement of what such a curse might mean for a boy of his nature.

She had sensed the constant humiliation that the curse had caused him, and she already had an idea as to why it was so bad for him personally. It practically shouted of his father, Genma Saotome. Another contradiction! The man was a deceitful thief, a negligent father, but also a masterful teacher of the warrior's arts. Her gentle expression became a slightly thin smile as she contemplated all she knew about the man, much of it less than pleasant by nature. Genma was not truly evil, but he was selfish and self-centered, a very bad combination in any man, let alone a warrior who wielded such an enormous potential. He would have to be dealt with, in time, perhaps even taught the error of his ways so that he might be corrected to a more honorable path. It was certainly a challenge to say the least, for someone else had warped the man's character very badly so that whatever nobility resided in Genma was smothered beneath many layers of self-pity.

She returned her thoughts to Ranma. He was cocky, brash, insensitive, sexist, violent, and thoughtless. (On the light side), she mused, (He's also, cautious, deeply insecure, sensitive, chivalrous, honorable, and intelligent, to say nothing of the effect he has on at least two of my students. And, to top it all off, he had the greatest potential for Force abilities I've ever seen. Possibly even more than Kasumi-chan, and that's certainly saying something...)

At the thought of her most promising apprentice, Trieste was suddenly aware of a placid ripple in the force, heading toward the dojo. Trieste smiled fondly as she recognized her Padawan. The smile turned to a frown as she realized that the ripple Kasumi made in the force was slightly off kilter.

(She's disturbed about something...The boy), she thought wearily (...Ranma. It has to be Ranma...) Trieste slowly left her meditative state, as Kasumi entered the dojo.  
"Good morning, Kasumi-chan. You're awake early," Trieste greeted calmly.

Kasumi nodded to her teacher, "Good morning, Sensei. I...I would speak with you, if I may?"

Trieste smiled warmly, "Of course, child. What about?"

"It is...about our guests," Kasumi began. "You have taken our fianc e as your new Padawan, and I was...surprised, Sensei. Have I completed my training?"

Trieste blinked. She had not expected this. Kasumi averted her eyes, embarrassed suddenly by the question.

"There is still much for you to learn, Padawan..." Trieste said kindly, "But there little more for you to learn from me," She finished. Kasumi finally raised her eyes to meet the gaze of her teacher, a relieved look flickering across her serene expression for a moment.  
"When you said you were taking Ranma-kun as your new Padawan, I'd feared that I'd somehow offended you..." Kasumi began, and Trieste suddenly made the connection. She saw the situation of two days ago from the eyes of her apprentice and realized she should have explained it to the young woman who had become her closest companion. Smiling reassuringly, she shook her head.

"I must apologize, Kasumi. I had not considered you would misinterpret my actions of the day before yesterday. You have not displeased me...quite the opposite, in fact. You are well on your way to becoming a full Jedi Knight, my young Padawan. All that is left for you is to face the trials, and you will be a recognized Jedi," she explained.

At that, much of the tension left Kasumi's posture.  
"Thank you, Sensei. Both for the reassurance and your confidence in me," The girl said gratefully. Then her tone changed to inquiring, "If I may ask, Sensei, why did you claim Ranma as your student?"

Trieste frowned at that. She had been pondering that very same question for some time.

"He has enormous potential, my young Padawan...in fact the greatest that I've ever seen," Trieste said quietly.

Kasumi frowned thoughtfully, her beautiful face intent in contemplation.

"But then, the potential for the dark side is equally great," Kasumi said slowly, "I sense much anger in him, and not just because of the harshness of his own training."

Trieste could not argue with that, so she smiled wryly, "Given what Genma-san has put him though, I'm not the least bit surprised," she observed. Kasumi inclined her head, conceding the point. Trieste continued, "He will learn to over come it, in time,"  
"Sensei...why is this so important?" Kasumi asked, "I sense you are anxious about his training. Is it because of his inability to control his transformation?"

Trieste grinned at that. Kasumi always had been remarkably empathic. She struggled to put words to the need she had to train the brash teenager.

"I sense a...vergence within him, Kasumi. He has so much potential that he is a...nexus. A hinge, for want of a better term, on which the future of this timeline, and all its parallels will hang. I have a responsibility to see that he is equipped to deal with the problems that he will be facing,"  
"How will he lean to cope with his anger, Sensei?" Kasumi wondered, "His father has trained his body, but abused his spirit. He seems as though he has been made to endure much for the sake of his...training," Kasumi said politely. Trieste nodded sagely.

"I agree, Kasumi. That is where you come in, I'd hoped," She told her student. Kasumi looked startled.

"I...don't understand, Sensei.," The willowy girl stuttered. Trieste smiled warmly at her.

"You have a manner, Kasumi-chan, which is as far from that of Genma Saotome as is humanly possible. I believe this would be an advantage to teaching him," Trieste told her student.

Kasumi inclined her head slightly, her delicate features showing puzzlement., "I don't understand," Trieste nodded.

"While you and the Ranma-kun sparred yesterday, I scanned his thoughts," the Jedi mistress stated matter-of-factly. Kasumi's eyes grew wide. Trieste immediately divined the nature of her student's concern and smiled, "Nothing as invasive as you are thinking, Kasumi. In fact, if I hadn't wanted to read them, I would have had to erect mental shields. He broadcasts his thoughts quite loudly."

Kasumi visibly relaxed, and giggled a bit as Trieste winced at the memory, then continued "In any case, the impressions I received, were memories of training. Mostly of Ranma attempting to perform some extraordinary and dangerous physical feat at an age even a trained Jedi would have had extreme difficulty, while his father verbally berated him. I even managed to glean some of the insults Genma-  
san hurled at the boy. Ranma's strongest memories were of his father berating him for being..." Trieste paused and glanced at her student. Kasumi was listening intently, her features creased and thoughtful. Trieste raised an eyebrow. "...weak like a girl," She finished quietly. Kasumi shook her head.

"Oh my!" she said wearily. Trieste nodded.

"Quite. While the boy's curse could hardly be foreseen, his father's taunts have made him extremely insecure about his manhood. I would like you to teach the boy the ways of the force for this reason, Kasumi," Trieste inclined her head in a meaningful fashion.

Kasumi blinked, "Sensei?"

"I feel that while the boy has exceeded everyone's expectations under adversity," Trieste began, "He would be that much more aided by a teacher who was encouraging and supportive. Someone like you, Kasumi. You have the gift of a teacher, and as well, I have little doubt that Ranma will not be the last Padawan for you to train. The experience while I am still here to assist would be good preparation to make you an even further well-rounded Jedi Knight. "

The girl fairly glowed at the praise.  
"I am honored you would request this of me, Sensei," Kasumi inclined her head, "It would be my privilege to assist you in the training of Ranma Saotome," Kasumi smiled at her teacher, and bowed deeply.

The unmistakable noise of a fight in the yard beside the dojo drew their attention. Trieste smiled wryly, "Speak of the Sith. It seems Ranma and your sister are having a little practice match outside. Would you care to watch?"

"Sensei?" Kasumi blinked, then turned her mind with a questioning look and said, "Nabiki? Oh my..."

"Had enough yet?" Ranma asked, pretending that he was not breathing as hard as he was while he and his opponent paused to take stock of one another.

"You wish," Nabiki found herself grinning in spite of feeling like she had just run ten kilometers flat out in just under two minutes, "I knew you were good, Ranma-kun, which is why I wanted to fight you. Yesterday showed me that I have a long ways to go if I'm to carry my weight against a real enemy, and by studying you I'll grow even stronger."

"Glad to help out," Ranma assumed a fighting crouch, "You are pretty good, though, just for the record."

Despite herself Nabiki could not help chuckling at this, "Flattery will go to a girl's head you know, or is that part of your diabolical scheme to get me to lower my guard, Saotome?"

"Huh?" Ranma asked, "What do you mean?"

"Only this," Nabiki replied, and tapped once more into the Force to lend extra speed and strength to her limbs as she accelerated beyond her normal human maximum, vaulting high in the air and coming down behind Ranma with a spinning back-kick that very solidly connected.

Ranma staggered forward but almost instantly recovered, proving once again to Nabiki that the boy was far stronger than he looked, if not outright superhuman, "What-you cheated! No fair!"

"All's fair in love and war, Saotome," Nabiki purred seductively, "And let that be a lesson to you to never underestimate a woman. I may be a mere girl in your eyes, but I'm faster than I look, and if you leave me the slightest opening then I'll be all over you in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, right," Ranma crouched low again, "You won't take me twice using that maneuver."

"So I'll try something else instead," Nabiki revealed, and suddenly she seemed to split into three identical Nabikis, each of whom assumed a martial stance and looked on him like he was her next morning's lunch money.

"What the...how are you doing that?" Ranma gasped as he tried to discern which was the real Nabiki.

"Trade secret," all three Nabiki's winked, "Simplicity itself for a Force Master."

The trio of Nabikis attacked, and it was all Ranma could do to get his guard up in time to block the real one when her foot came close to connecting. Ranma weathered several strikes before retaliating, forcing the real Nabiki to back away as the other two versions of herself faded into nothing. But then Nabiki struck a pose and smiled at him from over her shoulder and said in a sensuous voice, "Not bad at all, Saotome...but I still win this round."

"Huh?" Ranma asked when he felt Nabiki's foot connect with the back of one knee, striking with just enough force to cause him to topple backwards and land with a loud splash into the koi pond.

"Another lesson for today, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said sweetly, "Seeing isn't always believing, and just because you think I'm standing in one place doesn't mean that's where I'm actually standing."

"Why you...I'll get you for that!" sputtered a sopping wet and now thoroughly FEMALE Ranma.

"Promises, promises," Nabiki chided, "You know you wouldn't be this easy to take in if you used your other senses and not just your eyes to tell you where your foe is standing. You should be able to feel my presence no matter where I am or what I'm doing, and you can also hear me moving, feel the displacement of air and calculate the likely angle of my attack, all of which would give you the advantage.

"Oh yeah?" Ranma-chan asked as she fished herself out of the koi pond, "You really think it's that easy?"

"For you it ought to be a cake walk," Nabiki winked, "It took me years to learn how to do that myself, but you seem like a pretty quick study. I'll bet in next to no time you could surpass me in Force manipulation."

"BOY!" a voice bellowed from the second story window, "What do you think you're doing out there at this time in the morning? Bad enough you show no consideration for those of us who are trying to get a decent night's sleep, but to lose that badly to a GIRL? You're a disgrace to the name of Saotome!"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma-chan growled, "Look whose talking!"

"I am looking," said Genma as he vaulted down from the window and took a stance near to where Nabiki was standing, "And I didn't waste the last ten years of my life teaching you how to uphold the sacred name of Saoto-MMMMM-GROWLF!"

The latter was said when Nabiki, having heard enough of the whole macho-bull affair, casually waved a hand and caused a few liters of water to jet up from the koi pond and deposit themselves over the head of her prospective father-in-  
law, silencing Genma effectively as he reverted to a panda.

"Heh, good one, Nabiki!" Ranma-chan grinned, "You were saying, old man?"

The panda glared, and then without warning attacked his son-turned daughter with blinding speed, only to find the redheaded girl was vaulting over his head and using it as a springboard.

"Well now," Trieste mused softly, "This grows more interesting by the second. Shall we observe them, Kasumi-chan?"

Kasumi nodded, "It might provide valuable information about how to go about how much training Ranma has yet to come in the ways of the force, Sensei," she hesitated before adding, "But...Nabiki does seem happy working out with him. Do you think we should disturb them?"

"That is up to you to decide," Trieste remarked, "But...I was hoping that maybe you and your sister might be able to work together. At the very least your different styles should compliment one another, and I'm positive that Ranma could learn a great deal by studying the contrast."

"I hope that you are right, Sensei," Kasumi seemed oddly pensive as she regarded her younger sister, "And if Nabiki will accept me as her trainer...it could tell us both much about the progress we have made in the ways of the Jedi."

The Jedi mistress nodded at that, "I quite agree, that such knowledge is good. Treat every situation as though it were an opportunity to learn new and wondrous things, my Apprentice."

"I will try do to this, Sensei," Kasumi said sincerely.

"Never try," Trieste corrected, "Only do, or do not do...there is no try."

Kasumi colored as if she had forgotten the most basic and elementary of all lessons, "Hai, Sensei...I will remember."

"I know that you will," Trieste replied, adding with a wry note, "Ranma and his father do seem rather lively for this time in the morning."

Kasumi did not reply to that, but as pale as the moonlight was, Trieste did not need the illumination to sense that her chosen Padawan was blushing profusely...

Kuonji Ukyo frowned from where she stood perched on a nearby telephone pole scanning the yard of the Tendo estate. Although too far away to hear and see much of the transactions in the camp of her enemies she could see enough by moonlight to know that Ranma was sparring with the Tendo girl...and acting in an overly friendly manner. It was just like that traitorous bastard to be flirting with another girl after he and his father had broken their promise to Ukyo and her father!

Ukyo frowned as she debated the wisdom of going over there and announcing her presence, which was enormously tempting even though it ran contrary to the instructions of her Master. She owed Darth Purge an honor debt for teaching her the ways of the Force and helping her to cultivate her anger into the deadliest of weapons. Vengeance was finally so near to her reach that she could almost taste it, and if she were to confront Ranma now with the truth about their past it would no doubt alienate him against his Jedi allies, who were-after all-  
too pure and noble not to reject having a rat like him be in their presence.

But no, the plans hatched by her Mentor called for careful and deliberate timing, and the groundwork would have to be laid down so that her story could be unveiled in such a manner as to do the maximum amount of damage to Ranma's reputation. Ukyo intended to extract the full measure of her retribution by stripping the boy down of his pretensions, layer by layer. She would attack his spirit and sap his will until he would be prey to the Dark Side, and then she would reveal the full extent of her Sith powers. She seethed with hunger and anticipation for the time when she finally held Ranma's life in her hands so she could enjoy squeezing it out of his near-lifeless body. It was the dream which she had lived for all those years of intensive training, and once it was accomplished she would bury him in quick lime and spit on his grave just for extra insult.

But first she had to do something about that Tendo girl and her flirtations. There was something about the shorthaired Force Master that grated on her nerves, and not just the easy and casual way in which she carried on with Saotome Ranma that was a bit too friendly for Ukyo's tastes. It was NOT (as she would insist against the teasing of her Dark Side colleagues) because she was JEALOUS, she just didn't want anyone to get that close to the boy that she was after. No one else had the right to even approach Ranma while Ukyo was in the picture, and she certainly did not want him to be making any friendships. She wanted him to be alone and isolated, to feel the misery and loneliness that had tormented Ukyo in her own childhood. It was only fair, it was only justice, and so this other girl would need to be eliminated from the picture just as soon as Ukyo could arrange it.

But first it was time to report back, Darth Purge was waiting to hear all about her observations. Besides if she stayed too much longer it would become light, and then it would not take a Jedi Master to see her perched atop a telephone pole. Ukyo gathered up the night into herself and vaulted backwards in a somersault that carried her to the ground with the ease of long and intensive practice. The night beckoned to her, and Ukyo-who was considering taking the name of Darth Venger upon her graduation to full Sith-fled back into the hills where her fellow Dark Adepts were gathered in their camp to make her report, leaving no one the wiser to her presence...

No one, that is, except for Trieste, who had felt the flitting shadow sliding in and out of their lives and knew that this was but the herald of interesting times surely soon to follow...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Cooperative Ventures in Co-Writing: shadowmane

My thanks again to Brandon Kelley for his contributions to this and the next chapter. Next time we see the Tendo household stir to a brand new morning, but what of the stories related about Genma and his training? Will Kimiko stir up the wrath of Nodoka to terrify the human panda, or will that be a step too far and too soon in the life of Saotome Ranma? And meanwhile Ranma and the Tendo sisters prepare to greet a brand new classmate (who just happens to resemble someone who was intent on killing them the previous morning). Be with us next time for: "Quest for the Gory," or "I'm Gonna Get you, Sugar!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	5. Chapter 5

JediKasumi05

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim R Bader And Brandon Kelley

(Inspired by the Works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas)

Episode Five:

"Quest Afire!"

Nabiki Tendo blearily rubbed the last vestiges sleepiness from her eyes, having only captured a few minutes of meditative rest to refresh and invigorate her for the coming stresses of morning. It hadn't helped too much, but she felt alert enough to manage school for the day...provided she found some serious sack time when she got home from classes.

She imagined that Ranma would be feeling much the same way, having spent half the night sparring with her and the other half with the two of them talking things out on the rooftops. It still bothered her that she had been forced to resort to trickery in order to defeat him, but Ranma had proven to be just too damned good to be taken in a regular straight fight. She'd had a taste of what he was really capable of when he pulled out the stops and it thrilled her enormously to think of such a dynamic individual spending time with her like they both were just ordinary teenagers.

But then again, Nabiki admitted, neither one of them was in any sense truly ordinary.

She had been trained in the ways of the Force from a tender age, mastering its intricacies and learning to shape her life around that mysterious and enigmatic power. Quite early on she had discovered that her particular talents as an Force Adept leaned toward foresight and information, often occurring in the shape of bizarre dreams that she didn't really know how to interpret. Trieste had said if she had been born and trained a Jedi, she likely would have become an Observer, like another being of her acquaintance, named...Yoga? Yoda? Something like that. Then in time, most likely, she could have been on the Jedi council, much like how Trieste had been before their enemies had all but destroyed the ancient order of the Jedi.

She smiled wryly at that. Somehow she just couldn't see herself as the nurturing, motherly advice-giving type. That was more Kasumi's style, she thought in amusement. She had been the last to discover her place, as it were, having herself defied an easy definition. She suspected it was because Trieste had found her difficult to understand, or perhaps because Nabiki herself liked being elusive and nearly impossible to pin down. Kasumi had been easily identified as a healer-no real shock there-and Akane a warrior. Nabiki had simply been one who gravitated to the Force as an adept who could sometimes read others and know the future before it happened. She was good at ferreting out information, even had a real instinct for telling the truth from falsehoods, but she was less of a fighter than either Akane and Kasumi did not really seem to enjoy the call of battle like a true martial artist was supposed to...

That is until she had finally met someone interesting enough to be worth sparring against, someone whom she had felt drawn to without truly knowing why...a certain someone who was proving to be a most ponderous enigma far beyond easy classification. Nabiki found herself both vexed and intrigued by the riddle he presented, for nothing appealed to her quite like a challenge, and in that respect Saotome Ranma was unusually well gifted.

It was his other gifts that she found intriguing, and speculating on that had been but part of the reason that Nabiki had been unable to find any sleep come the morning.

Of course when she descended the stairs from her room, already bathed and changed into her school uniform, she was surprised to hear the sounds of battle were still emanating from the gardens, only this time she felt the familiar intensity of the aura that belonged to her youngest sister, Akane.

"Hold still, you insensitive Jerk!" her sister was presently snarling in tones that left no doubt as to whom she was currently snarling at, being only one "Insensitive Jerk" who could rile her up that way, and it certainly was not their "Uncle Genma."

Nabiki sighed, thankful that it was Akane and not herself who was the warrior caste member in residence, a role that her younger sister gravitated to with far too much proficiency for anyone's peace of mind, let alone Nabiki's.

It had been surprised years ago to learn that the Jedi, an order dedicated to peace, even had a warrior caste, and had once said so to their teacher. Trieste had smiled impishly at that and calmly informed her, "Nabiki, being adept at the art of war does not make one opposed to the virtue of peace. Jedi all strive for balance, the Yin and Yang, if you will. Man and woman, good and evil, war and peace, harmony and aggression...hard or soft, each must exist in equal measure before balance, and harmony with the Force is achieved."

Trieste's smile has turned mysterious, and she had quietly glided from the room, leaving a ten year old Nabiki to puzzle out her words. Nabiki had understood, in general, the meaning of what her sensei had told her, but there seemed to be a mystery within the statement, aggravating her to no end, an all too common occurrence when it came to Trieste's teaching methods.  
She padded into the bathroom, giving the mirror a hooded glance before picking up her toothbrush and attempting to scrub out the filmy taste that was in her mouth. She was in the middle of this ritual when she heard the thumps of sparring in the yard grow somewhat more intense and perceived that "Uncle Genma" had recovered from the thrashing he had received only hours ago and had joined into the action, panda form notwithstanding. Running a hand through her disheveled hair, Nabiki shuffled out into the hall, toothbrush still dangling from her lips, to see if she had guessed correctly as to the participants in what was becoming a rather heated brawl out in the yard. She spotted her father in the tearoom, gazing out the patio into the yard, at the morning's entertainment. She walked toward Soun, watching the two men and one young girl in the yard put forth a credible effort at beating each other senseless in a no-  
holds-barred three-way melee.

"My, they're certainly perky, aren't they," she commented absently, vaguely pleased to note that Akane seemed to be holding up her end of the sparring, in spite of both men stubbornly refusing her entreaties to hit her.

Her father nodded, thoughtfully stroking his mustache.

"Ranma and his father spar like this every morning, Nabiki-chan," he told her seriously.

Nabiki regarded her father for a moment.  
"EVERY morning?" She asked blandly. Soun nodded, and continued to watch the fight. Nabiki turned back to watch the proceedings as well. There was something about the mutual fianc e of the three Tendo sisters that was very...unusual...like a puzzle that she just had to unravel. She stretched her senses to the fullest, gasping a little as the force opened up her perspectives, and as the haze of sleepiness lifted continued to watch the battle between father and son and sister.  
Ranma had just leapt over a leg sweep from Genma and lashed out with a kick of his own, in the process managing to avoid a back-kick aimed at his head by Akane, who had successfully maneuvered around and behind him. As his kick landed solidly upon Genma's chest, Nabiki felt a small flicker in the force. The heavyset man flew backward, a great deal harder than with an ordinary roundhouse. Nabiki's eyes went wide as she intensified her scrutiny, and-sure enough-that was rewarded. The boy was indeed using a mild variant of the Force, albeit with much less control than Akane, whose blows and kicks could be delivered with the force of a sledgehammer. Only the boy's phenomenal speed and agility kept him tenaciously out of reach of the youngest Tendo sister, who voiced the heated complaint that no one was taking her seriously, not even the man who sometimes turned into a panda!

Over the course of the next ten minutes, each time one of Ranma's punches or kicks connected, his living force flickered with power. Oddly enough, Genma's that did as well, but with less frequency, style and brilliance; but what the older man lacked in power he more than made up for in sheer craftiness and low cunning. Genma landed a blow that, to Nabiki's eyes, was borderline dirty, and it sent Ranma sailing into the koi pond. Nabiki felt Genma's surge of sniggering pride well up.  
"You're sloppy, Ranma!" The elder Saotome bellowed, and, fists on hips, laughed disdainfully. "Hahahaha-gurgle...growf!" He said as a washing basin full of water smacked him in the head, triggering his curse. Akane stood at the edge of the pond, straightening up from hurling the washbasin.

"Now, who's sloppy?" the Tendo girl sneered, and Nabiki heard their father chuckle at that, obviously enjoying his best friend's discomfiture at the hands of his youngest daughter.

"Saotome, you're getting careless in your old age," Soun cheerfully taunted, "In the old days the girls chasing after you would have caught you in no time with that sort of oblivious behavior."

"And which girls did you have in mind, dear?" Kimiko asked as the Matron of the household entered the room with a tray loaded down with already prepared breakfast.

"Eh...Nodoka, of course," Soun seemed to faintly sweat the question, which caused Nabiki to raise an eyebrow, sensing the evasiveness in that statement. Her father had secrets in his past of which she was not privy? Now THIS was something that definitely would bear a closer investigation...

"Breakfast everyone!" Kimiko cheerfully called out, "I assume that Genma-san will want his share, and some portion of his son's? If not, then I have already cut up a tray of bamboo that may be more to his liking."

The Panda in question seemed to regard that statement dubiously and trudged away in search of some hot water while Soun turned his attention from the yard to the dinner table. Akane gave a last sniff of resentment to the water-soaked Ranma and headed in to the house to change up so that she could have her share of breakfast. That left Ranma herself to stare down at herself morosely, a curious look on her lovely face as she regarded the swelling breasts that the gold water had given her. A crashing sense of loneliness emanated from the girl as she turned towards the house, no doubt in search of more hot water.

Of all those present only Nabiki seemed to perceive the solitary plight of Saotome Ranma, but even as she considered going in search of the boy-turned-girl she saw Kasumi appear holding up an already heated kettle. Ranma looked up at her gratefully as the hot water restored his manhood, leaving Nabiki feeling oddly dejected as if she had lost a vital opportunity to approach the boy who was to be their iinazuke.

This naturally set Nabiki to thinking, and in her thoughtfulness she listlessly picked at her breakfast without actually taking time to enjoy the savor of her mother's home cooking. As a girl who prized her stomach almost as much as Akane preferred to watch her diet, it was a testament to the level of her distraction...after all a Master of the Force was supposed to keep their concentration focused in the here and now, not allow themselves to become obsessed with the past or with things that had not yet happened.

No one had gotten off on the right foot on the first night following the Saotomes' arrival. After her father's bombshell of an announcement all three Tendo sisters had reacted to the news with varying levels of dismay, disbelief, even contempt in the case of Akane. As usual, Nabiki couldn't read Kasumi's thoughts but Akane had been smarting after being beaten at martial arts by a boy, and one with no Force training no less, so she had been less than kind in her thinking. Nabiki thought carefully and realized that she had not been very courteous towards Ranma, either, the night following the announcement. Considering that the boy had no more choice in the matter of the engagement than any of them, it was a glaring omission of courtesy to a nominal houseguest. Their last night chat had possibly softened some of that, but it left a long way to go before Ranma would feel actual acceptance as a member of their household.

Well, she'd have to find a way to fix that. This guy looked as though he could use a friend, and frankly, so could she. She was not exactly miserable in her personal life, but being the smart one of the Tendo family left her the odd one out a lot of times. Kasumi was her mother's favorite, hands down, her accomplishments, Force related or not, left Kimiko glowing with pride at the mere mention of her oldest daughter. Similarly, Akane was the apple of their father's eye the one on whom most presents-like new clothing-were showered. The determination she used in her training in martial arts had been for the sole reason of following in their father's footsteps, something Akane had made that quite clear during her training. Her father had devoted his spare time to training Akane, helping her to better inherit the family's half of the Anything Goes school, and the closeness they felt on account of that training left no one in any doubt that it was Akane to whom Soun intended to leave the mantle of the Anything Goes Ryu.

Nabiki did not exactly feel unloved, as her parents made no secret of the fact that they were very proud of her grades and her own martial arts and Force related accomplishments, but...many a time they were unable to understand the way she spoke or thought when she tried to express her feelings. Trieste recognized and appreciated her quick wits and ready intellect, but their Sensei spent far more time in the company of Kasumi than her middle student. So, while Nabiki knew that she could confide in Kasumi somewhat, everyone else in the house was warm, but distant, and that not even taking into account the frequent training trips on which Trieste would take her older sister.

Apparently Ranma could relate to being the odd one out, the outsider. She hoped that maybe she and Ranma could help each other, if only for the sense of having someone else who understood the isolation of being...different.

This thought decided, she resolved herself to approaching the boy before they left for classes, if only to pick up where they left off the night before and possibly build on whatever tentative trust had been already established. She fervently hoped that the macho guy would not be too proud to accept an offer of companionship from a "mere" girl, even one a year older. She picked what she could out of her bowl then begged to be excused, intending to find Ranma and present him with her offer, at least while they had time and Akane was herself too busy to pay any notice of some "pervert" attempting to "hit upon" one of her sisters...

Ranma allowed a slight smile as he looked into the bathroom mirror, gazing at the male body that was his by birthright. It was odd the things that you could come to treasure when you realize how easily they could be taken away at any moment. In the past month or two since obtaining his curse he had almost gotten used to the changes, yet never would he completely adjust to the idea of being a girl half of the time. It was just too...unmanly...and that was something his upbringing had shamed him into believing was a fate worse than any other form of humiliation.

(I ain't takin' my own body for granted anymore), he silently mused, (Hell, I can't afford to. Not when a chilly rain could make it go away...)

He frowned at the mirror, remembering the events of the previous evening. He admitted to being surprised upon learning that at least two members of the house accepted him for what he was without negative judgement. After the revelation of his curse, and the subsequent revelation he was to be engaged to one of the three admittedly attractive girls he had half-feared and imagined that they all would resent him equally...and in Akane's case that did seem to be the matter. He felt...pretty badly about alienating the girl closest to his own age, but what else could you expect from a "Macho Chick" who acted like she was part guy and expected people to ignore the fact that she was quite obviously a girl. Something about her troubled him greatly, but at least her rejection was easily understood, if not particularly welcome.

What had been surprising was the knowledge that the middle Tendo daughter, Nabiki, had opened to him with very little reservation. It was strange spending time with the slightly older girl, one who was obviously a whole lot more intelligent than most other girls her age. Ranma was not used to thinking of any girl as a relative equal, but this one definitely had impressed him on a level that was altogether strange...but in a very nice sense. It occurred to him that her opinion mattered a lot more to his own self-esteem than the taunts of his father or the sneering, snide comments he regularly received from his Panda of a father.

And then there was Kasumi...a very nice girl in every sense that you could use to describe her. Though gentle mannered and extremely polite, Ranma had learned the hard way not to take her too much for granted. He still smarted from the bruising she had dealt to him on that first night sparring match, and it fairly amazed him that anyone could be that good in the martial arts, even given that she had some kind of mystical Force training.

Something about that older Tendo sister was disturbing to him, though...a sense that she might be a little too nice a person, almost inhumanly serene with a spirit that glowed from within with a gentle flame of boundless compassion. Ranma would not have admitted to finding such a girl intimidating, but...if anything he was a little weirded out just being in her presence. He liked her without knowing precisely why, and that was even more disturbing as-up until that moment-he had not been much in the habit of noticing such things about any woman.

Of the two sisters, Nabiki was certainly the more approachable and earthy, and he liked her a lot too, even if he still felt a twinge of guilt over allowing her to be injured that fight against some enemies whom Ranma appeared to have made during his travels. Nabiki had been a very good sport about the whole matter, and Ranma had done what he could to try and make things right, but it would not have surprised him at all if she had resented him for causing her grief. Akane sure had not been sparing in heaping blame in his direction, but no one else seemed to mind the fact that the only way in which Ranma had been of any assistance was to revert to his dreaded "Neko" persona.

His thoughts thus revolving in turmoil, Ranma walked out of the bathroom without giving his surroundings too much of his attention. He decided to keep to himself for awhile, to see if he could get the Tendo girls off the hook, and, maybe, just maybe then find time for a little trip to China to get rid of this humiliating curse. Ranma was so lost in thought as he vaulted the railing on the staircase that he failed to see Nabiki ascending the stairs almost directly below him. It was only at the last second that they became aware of one another, and then they collided heavily, even as Ranma tried in vain to stop his downward momentum. Ranma managed to stay upright, but to his horror he saw Nabiki tumbling backward and without a moment of thought or hesitation he leaped forward to catch her, bringing her in close to his body as he flipped around and brought his legs back under them in order to halt their downward progress.

The result was that Ranma found himself crouched over the middle Tendo girl, who was held in a "Swoon" position as if the two of them had been performing a Flamenco dance. Nabiki was staring up at him wide-eyed as Ranma looked down into her eyes with his own expression a blank mask of raw emotions. Even as relief that she was not injured flooded him, he found the position that they were presently in did not bode well for an easy explanation of his conduct.

Ranma went crimson with embarrassment as he stammered out the words, "Nabiki-I-  
I" he swallowed, "Gomen Nasai!"

Nabiki, for her own part, was wondering why her heart was suddenly beating in her breast like a little bird attempting to bend the bars to its cage, but she took stock of her condition and decided that she was no worse for the wearing. In spite of her presently compromised state she had not suffered unduly, save only for her dignity, which was presently in tatters.

"Saotome...kun," she wallowed then tried again, "...Ranma...ah...I..."

"What the hell are you two doing?" demanded a familiar voice that had caught them in the act at the bottom of the stairway.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked as he and Nabiki both turned to see Akane glaring at them (albeit that she looked upside down from Nabiki's current perspective).

"I thought you might try something like this with one of my sisters, you-you pervert!" Akane snapped, self-righteously clasping her hands into fists.

"Akane-no!" Nabiki hastily said as she urged Ranma to set her down so that she could flip herself back into an upright position, "Sis...you've got it wrong! Ranma just...ah...saved me from a bad spill..."

"A bad spill?" Akane eyed her older sister skeptically, ""Yeah, right! When was the last time you had problems with your balance? Maybe Trieste-Sensei oughta increase your training if you're having problems remaining upright."

Nabiki could not decide what was upsetting her more...the fact that she had been clearly caught in an incredibly awkward state with a boy whom she obviously did find attractive...or that Akane was using crude slurs to insinuate a lot more personalized behavior none-too-subtly suggesting that it had been a DELIBERATE act on the part of Nabiki!

"Geez," Ranma chose that moment to unwisely revert to his usual thoughtless state, "What's your problem? We just had a little accident, and it was my fault. No reason for you to get all worked up about it."

"No reason?" Akane flared, "You come into my house and all but attack my sister and you don't think I've got a good reason?"

"Sheesh," Ranma winced, "With that kind of attitude it's no wonder you don't have a boyfriend, and that ain't even mentioning that you beat them off with a club every morning."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?" Akane flared, and then before Nabiki could stop her she felt the surge of energy flow through her little sister as emotion got the better of her reason, and a wave of force hit Ranma like a tidal surge, driving him sideways and through the plaster walling on this side of the stairway.

Having thus cleared a path (and created a Ranma-shaped hole in place of a wall picture), Akane stormed up the stairs with an acid-toned, "Jerk!" leaving Nabiki to stare open mouthed at the whole exchange, marveling how near to the Darkside her sister could walk sometimes without tripping over.

"Ranma-kun?" she asked, approaching the hole and peering in past the broken wood and plaster.

A light groan answered her query, and Nabiki breathed a sigh of relief as she did not sense that he was too badly injured, other than the bruises to his pride that he would be feeling for the duration.

"Anybody get the number of that truck?" she heard him softly complaining.

"Need any help getting out of there?" Nabiki asked, "I could get you a flashlight..."

"Thanks...I'll manage," and sure enough, a few moments later he pulled himself out of the hole with a faintly deflated sense of humor, grumbling, "By the way...did you know you guys got some wicked termites?"

"Termites?" Nabiki blinked her eyes, only to belatedly perceive that he was merely jesting, which oddly enough brought a smile to her lips, for it was not often that somebody got the better of her in the art of word-play.

"Yeah...the big kind that dress like violent Tomboys," Ranma felt the side of his face that had impacted with the wall and said, "Ouch."

"Need any Band-Aids?" Nabiki offered, "I could get you some iodine if you need it."

"Naw, I'll be all right," Ranma looked at her and said, "Sorry again about causing this. I'm the one who shoulda looked where he was going."

"Relax Saotome," Nabiki smiled, "I'm ok...just fine, as a matter of thanks, and I do owe that to you. That's twice now that you've saved me from a nasty situation. If this keeps up I'm going to wind up owing you a favor."

"A...favor?" Ranma blinked.

"Sure," Nabiki eyed him coyly, "Isn't that what a girl is supposed to do for her Knight in shining armor? You save a girl's life and it's supposed to mean something, you know."

"Ah...eh...well..." Ranma scratched the back of his head, and once again Nabiki found herself enchanted with the self-effacing gesture.

"Would you look at that?" a familiar voice tisked audibly, startling them both from their private reveries, "That girl seriously needs to learn the price of repairing what she damages. I'm sorry that you had to see such an unpleasant side of my daughter, Ranma-san. She's normally not like that...at least around family members."

"Ah-Mrs. Tendo!" Ranma gulped as he and Nabiki whirled around to see the smiling face of Kimiko serenely regarding them both with an enigmatic expression, "I-Ah-  
er-Gomen Nasai...!" he bowed to her as his face colored crimson.

"Mother?" Nabiki felt her own expression redden, though in her case her expression was more the 'caught with the hand in the cookie jar' variety. She saw a twinkling in her mother's eyes and knew that she had been caught dead to rights taking advantage of a rather unexpected situation.

"There is no need for you to apologize, Ranma," Kimiko said with warmth in her voice and expression, "You're practically one of the family now, and I simply must remind Akane of that fact. You two young people get yourselves ready and hurry off to school, I'm sure you'll have a great deal to discuss afterward. Oh...and Nabiki...try not to get into any fights if they can be avoided. I know the choice isn't entirely up to you, but if anything...unpleasant were to happen...I would be most distressed. Ranma-kun, may I beg of you the great favor that you look after my daughter and see that she arrives safely to her classes?"

"Huh...ah...sure," Ranma gulped, "No problem, Mrs. Tendo. I...ah...I'd be honored..."

Nabiki's eyes got very round as she looked from her mother to her nominal iinazuke. Had she just heard things right or had her own mother set her up to spend more time in the company of this handsome guy who had twice now saved her? If she had not felt so nervous about this fact she would have beamed in pride at the cunning of her mother.

And she knew that Ranma would do exactly as he had promised. There was something crudely chivalrous about the guy, and the fact that there was a legitimate cause for concern only meant that he would be sticking a lot closer to her side than if he were just told to walk her to her classes. Nabiki kept staring at him as her mother walked calmly past them and up the stairway, clearly intending to have a private chat with Akane. Ranma was looking back at her a bit shyly, but then he blinked his eyes and seemed to come back to an awareness of their surroundings.

"Ah...sorry...you wanted to get ready for class...ah..." he made to move around her to allow Nabiki to continue on her way to her own room, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Ranma..." she began, "I'd like to talk to you again...when you have a minute," she asked, searching his eyes for a moment, and after his initial embarrassment faded he finally nodded.

"Um...ok," he said gruffly, "I'm sorry about all the trouble..." he began.

Nabiki favored him with a lopsided grin.

"Actually, there has been, sort of. I wanted to apologize," she told him quietly.

Ranma blinked. That wasn't what he'd expected at all.

"Huh? What for?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

She looked at the ground a moment. It helped her compose her thoughts as she began, "Last night," she told him. "I...kind of enjoyed that talk we had, but there's a lot of stuff we never got around to...like explaining why my sisters and I weren't all that nice to you when you first arrived here..."

Ranma laughed sheepishly, scratching at the base of his pigtail, "Oh...that. Listen, it's no big deal. If I had been suddenly engaged to a freak like me, I wouldn't really be thinking of how ta be nice..."

Nabiki looked up at that. "What, the curse?" she asked, "No that wasn't it. It's kinda cool, actually,"

Ranma gaped at that.

"Cool?" he murmured incredulously.

"Sure. You can understand the problems a girl has a little more than the average guy," While he was trying to wrap his mind around the concept of someone not hating his curse as much as he did, Nabiki continued, "The hard part is, it's...the iinazuke thing. I mean, like I said before, I'm only seventeen, and Kasumi's just a couple years older. It's seems kind of premature to be talking about something this serious just because our parents want us to unite the houses, you know?"

Ranma nodded. This, he could understand!

"Yeah..." He began, thinking hard. This girl was making a serious effort to be kind, and he wanted to reciprocate, "Well, if you want, I can talk to pop, get you off the hook, y' know?"

Nabiki smiled warmly. Her first instinct had been to be insulted, but a gentle probe of the boy's emotions made his intentions plain. He wasn't deciding that he did not want to marry HER, he just honestly believed that he would be doing her a favor. She put a hand on his arm, effectively stopping his train of thought. Nabiki winced at the chaotic jumble his emotions became when she touched him. (Well, that's definitely flattering), she mused wryly.

"That's all right, Ranma. Hey, It might turn out later that we actually like each other...that way. I'm not saying I don't want an iinazuke, just that right now, I don't need one. You understand?" She asked him gently. Ranma nodded emphatically.

"Huh. Well, actually...I understand perfectly," he told her.

"You do?" she asked with a cautious expression.

"I really do. Huh," he sniffed, "There's a first time for everything, I guess," he murmured softly to himself.

Nabiki grinned, encouraged. Now came the hard part. She stared at the floor, and ground out, "But...I could also...use a friend..."

Ranma was taken aback. This was way too good to be true. The middle Tendo daughter was staring at the floor, holding out a hand, waiting to be either accepted or rejected. Ranma felt a surge of empathy and warmth in equal measure. Nabiki obviously knew what it felt like to be the odd one out, to be alone, different from most of the people she met. And she had the courage to reach out? To try and be friends?

Ranma decided right then and there that she was exactly the sort of person who he wanted to be his friend. Ranma took the offered hand, flushing as a slight tingle ran down his arm. Nabiki raised her eyes and met Ranma's. She didn't need her force senses to realize that Ranma knew exactly what kind of sacrifice she had had to make, to make even the offer. But she stretched toward him with the Force anyway, and a wave of gratitude that was truly humbling washed over her.

"Thanks," said the strange boy that had just walked into her life the day before yesterday, "I could use a friend too. I...tend to lose mine, usually when I need them the most. I never had one when I needed one before."

Nabiki shook his hand gently.

"Thank YOU, Ranma-kun," she said, smiling, as she turned away toward the smell of breakfast wafting up the stairs. She cast a glance over her shoulder as she began to climb the stairs and said, "I'll see you at breakfast," she told him, not bothering to add that she had already eaten.

"Yeah," he answered, smiling back. Things were definitely looking up in his life, and for some really weird reason he was feeling a lot lighter...

Trieste moved away from where she had been concealed in a nearby corridor while listening in on the private conversation. It was definitely unexpected, but not an unwelcome development. Now that Ranma would be feeling a little more welcome in the Tendo home he would have less emotional hurdles to cross in the future that she could foresee for him. Much work had yet to be done to repair the damage done by his father, and yet the first tentative steps had been undertaken, and without even the slightest effort on her own part. Nabiki's bold maneuver had come as a pleasant enough surprise, and she suspected that her junior apprentice had little need of further encouragement in following through on her offer of providing Ranma with some much-needed friendship.

It was, oddly enough, just the some of thing that Trieste and Kimiko had been remarking upon the other day, each of them deeply concerned with the middle child's growing isolation, having both watched in sorrowful realization that Nabiki had few peers with whom she could relate openly, let alone unburden her heart as she had clearly done in only a few minutes around Ranma. Such friendship ties could lead to even more serious developments in the future, but for now it was enough that the two young people could find common ground and relate to each other's situation.  
(Well done, Nabiki), She thought with pride, hoping that the seeds planted here would blossom one day into a bright and glorious future...

Akane slid a sidelong glance at the boy accompanying her and her sister to school. With no small amount of anger, she asked, "What's the matter, Are you too good to walk with us or something?"

Ranma seemed genuinely surprised by the question, "Huh? Whaddaya mean by that?" he asked, curious.

Akane scowled, "Why are you always walking on the fence instead of the sidewalk like normal people, baka?"

Ranma frowned a little at the insult, but he didn't respond. She may be an uncute tomboy, Ranma mused, But she's still the sister of a friend, he decided.  
"Oh, that. It's balance training. Oyaji's always made a point of turning everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, into training," he told her blandly. "I just never got outta the habit."

"Humph!" was the angry girl's only reply. "Just don't be weird at school today. And we don't know each other either, understand?"

"You mean even after that big fight we had with those Sith guys?" Ranma sounded fairly incredulous.

"It was just another fight as far as anybody there'll remember," Akane shrugged, "Happens all the time with us, so don't act like it was anything special just because you got involved and wound up hurting my sister."

Ranma was beginning to get annoyed. He opened his mouth to respond, but caught sight of Nabiki in the corner of his eye. He swallowed the retort, and simply said, "Whatever."

He shot a look at Nabiki. The middle Tendo sister shrugged apologetically.

(She's not normally like this, Ranma), he heard Nabiki's voice say in his head. Not having been warned that telepathy was well within the range of abilities of anyone Force trained, Ranma started violently, causing him to teeter dangerously on the top of the fence.  
"WHOA!" he shouted before completely losing his balance. He plummeted down towards the water in the canal, and closed his eyes as he prepared for the inevitable change. He waited a moment, but he didn't seem to be wet. Opening his eyes a crack, he looked above his head...straight at the water of the canal, about a couple centimeters away. Ever so slowly it moved away, increasing its distance as he found himself rising above it as though drawn on invisible wires.

Come to think of it...he did have a peculiar tingling sensation running over the surface of his body...

He examined his immediate surroundings, and noted he seemed to be floating. On the other side of the fence were Nabiki and Akane. Detachedly he examined them both, noting that Akane seemed to be caught between annoyance and amusement at his predicament. Nabiki wasn't watching at all. Her eyes were closed, and her hand was raised and pointed in his direction. A thin sheen of perspiration had broke out on her forehead. As she lifted her arm, Ranma realized he was moving as well.

(Those invisible fingers of hers! Wow!) he exclaimed mentally, having witnessed before the power of her telekinesis, (Hey wait a minute. She seems to be having more trouble than she did yesterday. Oh yeah. My real body is probl'y heavier than my cursed form), He thought with some embarrassment. Ever so slowly Ranma's body floated over to the fence, and then he grabbed it tightly, feeling the odd sensation holding him up recede into nothing.

"You should have let him fall in," Akane sniffed. Nabiki blotted her forehead with her sleeve.  
"It was my fault," she said, giving Ranma an apologetic glance, "Besides Sis, we don't have time to go get him any hot water. We're late already."

Akane nodded grudgingly as Ranma scrambled back onto the fence.  
"Boys!" Akane growled as the three teenagers dashed toward and around the final bend in the road. Ranma rolled his eyes. He'd gotten tired of this rather quickly, being the recipient of the younger girl's perpetual loathing for the male of the species. But then as they dashed toward the distant Furinkan High School, he caught sight of the primary cause of her mad-on, which was rapidly growing closer and taking the form of an odd-looking dust cloud in the courtyard.

"Those guys again?" he exclaimed in mingled disgust and disbelief, "Don't they ever quit?" He was cut of by another growl from Akane.

"I HATE boys!" she snarled, a burst of speed propelling her forward as she dashed toward the dust cloud, looking ready to dish out grief by the metric tonnage.

As the trailing Ranma and Nabiki approached the gates of Furinkan High, Akane was already dead center of a massive brawl, laying waste to the best and the brightest of the various school Sports clubs as though they had been racked up for her like ten pins. Ranma reflexively took a step forward, but Nabiki put a hand on his arm, causing him to look back at her with a questioning expression.  
"Don't bother trying to help, Saotome," she told him dryly, "She'd only resent you even more than she does now, if that were possible. This happens to her every morning. She'll be fine, trust me."

He blinked, "Every morning?" Nabiki nodded, annoyed.

"Yeah. It's usually not a problem, but if she keeps blocking the gate then we're gonna be late for class. Bad enough about those guys yesterday ruining my perfect attendance record," Nabiki said darkly, running a hand through her hair in clear exasperation.

Ranma gave her the most peculiar scrutiny before he asked, "Where's your classroom?"

Nabiki, still watching the fight as she replied, "Third floor. It'll take forever to get there through this mess," she muttered disgustedly.

She missed seeing Ranma grin at her though she felt the sudden shift in his emotions to a feeling of general amusement, "Hey, no problem. Just hold on."

Nabiki was about to ask what he meant by that when she felt herself being swept into his arms. Nabiki was a little shocked at that...after all, one of her force talents was anticipation of the unexpected. No one had caught her napping like that is quite some time, let alone twice in a single morning!

Suddenly his words sank in and she gasped, "Hold on? You're not going to...WhoAAA!"

With surprisingly little effort Ranma made a full fledged Jedi leap, effectively shutting down Nabiki's train of thought as he most obviously WAS going to do what she had just been asking, apparently. It was the sudden lurching of her stomach being left on the ground that made her clutch onto him with a silent desperation that sat in lieu of an all-too-emotional panic that drove down her intellect and made her suddenly contemplate the very long list of things that she had yet to accomplish in her extremely brief life.

The mere fact of the leap was no real surprise...she could perform one just like this with ease, in fact. However, Ranma was, supposedly, a mere beginner in the ways of the Force, yet he had managed to use it more in one day than, say, Akane had in a lifetime! And the Tendo sisters, after all, did have quite a bit of formal training.

Nabiki suddenly understood completely just why her sensei was so interested in this talented, shy and cocky boy. The prodigious leap carried them over the fight, while another took them to the third floor balcony, where Ranma landed lightly, much to the amazement of her peers and fellow classmates.

The immediate buzz of gossip and finger pointing brought her back to earth and made her aware of something other than her hammering pulse beat.

It belatedly occurred to Nabiki to realize that she had thrown her arms around his neck somewhere along the line. Heat burning at her cheeks, she let go and disentangled herself from the handsome martial artist. When she got the nerve to look up again she realized he had been blushing as well. That made her feel-  
-oddly enough-a little better about the whole awkward situation.

Ranma cleared his throat, "There you go! Right on time!" Nabiki nodded.

"Hum... Thanks, Ranma-kun," she managed.

Ranma seemed suddenly eager to get away, "uh... It looks like Akane's fight is over...I'lljustgowalkhertoclass!" He blurted, and vaulted over the balcony guardrail.

Nabiki scowled a little, but thought better of it. The poor guy was broadcasting embarrassment loud enough to give her a headache. It was probably his first time carrying a girl to class like some Junior-class Tarzan and not a personal rejection.

It better not have been, she thought with peculiar intensity, steeling herself to assuming a stoical front as she endured the stares and murmured comments of her classmates.

Ranma landed on the ground neatly on his feet beside Akane, who again had emerged as the sole victor on the field of recent battle. He scanned the bodies arrayed chaotically all over the lawn and mused, "You sure are popular with the guys around here."

"Just keep out of my way, Jerk," Akane growled, her expression faintly distracted.

"Why, you got more admirers that you want to play with?" he jested.

Much to his disappointment, she failed to rise to the bait.

"You had better stay back," she said in a low, tense voice. "Or you're gonna get hurt. Kuno doesn't consider you an enemy just yet, but that will change if he catches you talking to me like you know me."

"That clown with the sword?" Ranma shrugged, "What about him?"

"What about who, Churl?" came a familiar voice of challenge as the party in question himself appeared from around the base of a tree, "And once again I ask who you are to speak that way to Lady Akane?"

"Hey, it don't mean nothing," Ranma shrugged, "If you wanna talk to her go right ahead, no skin off my nose."

To Ranma's complete surprise the tall boy pointed his bokken and scowled, "You have some nerve to address your betters in such a manner. I'll have you know that I am your Sempai, Kuno Tatewaki, Class A, Senior Level."

"Yeah?" Ranma asked, "Well, then don't mind me, 'Sempai,' I was just on my way to class when I stopped to say 'Hi' to the Tomboy."

"And what business would you have with her to be doing even that?" Tatewaki immediately challenged.

"Nothing much," Ranma frowned as he wondered why the other boy was making such a big fuss over the matter, "I'm just friends with her sister, remember?"

"With Tendo Nabiki?" Kuno asked, "Then why tarry with this young flower of maidenly innocence who is her sister? If you truly are consorting with the Mercenary, then be on your way and trouble Akane no further with your presence."

"Hey," Ranma scowled, becoming genuinely angry, "You saying something bad about Nabiki?"

"Is there anything good that can be said about her?" Tatewaki said haughtily, resting his sword across his shoulders, "Come now, you cannot possibly mean to say that you are offended on her behalf? The only thing that one cares about is procuring money from her fellow students."

Nabiki bristled from where she overheard this exchange from the balcony on which she was leaning, thinking direly to herself, (You're gonna pay for that one, Tatewaki!)

All at once, however, and to her complete astonishment (to say nothing about her fellow students, sister and even Tatewaki) Ranma was suddenly standing nose-to-  
nose with the taller boy and glaring Kuno in the eyes as though he were about to strike him down on the spot. She had not even seen the boy move, so fast was his reaction, and the disconcerted emotions she found springing up in Kuno meant that the other boy was no less astonished to find the younger Saotome invading his personal space.

"Listen!" Ranma barked in a clear and audible voice that could be heard amid the sudden silence of the schoolyard, "Akane means NOTHING to me! If you wanna date a girl who'd just as soon kill you as look at you, go right ahead...but if you say one more word about Nabiki...I'm gonna pound you into hamburger! You got that?"

Nabiki could not believe what she was hearing, nor could anyone else within earshot, including Akane. The murmured comments and muffled gasps of dismay were as nothing to the conflicted and confusing emotions, on the one hand resentful, on the other hand truly astonished.

"Who...who are you to speak that way to me?" Tatewaki recovered, moving back away from the other boy as he fell into a fighting stance, "I am Captain of the Furinkan High Kendo league and the rising star of this campus."

"Big deal," Ranma said, cracking his knuckles, "I'm Saotome Ranma, heir to the Saotome Ryu of the Anything Goes school, and I don't like your face. You feel like hitting on girls, Baka? Try hitting on me instead!"

"Very well," Kuno raised his bokken, "It is obvious that you must be taught your place and to keep a civil tongue around your betters!"

"Big talk coming from some guy in a skirt," Ranma smirked, "Show me what you got, Loser."

The rage that came over Tatewaki right then was most amazing. Nabiki actually had to damper her mental shields to keep from wincing at the blaze of outrage as she felt the tall boy drawing in upon the power of his Nampo.

"Hey!" Akane called out, suddenly very much concerned that Ranma was literally biting off more than he could chew, "You don't want to do that...you could get hurt, Ranma."

"Like you care?" Ranma called back over his shoulder, "Don't worry...this guy won't even touch me."

"Your confidence rivals your arrogance and will prove to be your undoing," Kuno slowly raised his Bokken skyward, "For I am the feared 'Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High, the rising star of the Kendo world and a master of the art of Nampo. No mere mortal can stand before my prowess..."

"Oh, you mean like that girl who keeps beating your ass?" Ranma taunted, "She is pretty good, but I'm not sure if I'd call her an Immortal."

The crack of thunder in the background was punctuation for the even more intense crackling of Tatewaki's emotions as the boy prepared to strike down this interloper who so brazenly defied him before the entire class that was hanging breathlessly on every word and gesture of their exchange. All at once the Force flared up along Tatewaki's blade, and then shot forward in a massive pyrotechnic display that caused a tree to shatter behind the point where Ranma had been standing. Akane raised her arms to deflect the backwash of this release as it swept by her, causing her long dark hair to whip around her body. The ground was scorched in the spot where Ranma had stood a moment before, but as for the elusive Saotome, he turned out not to be where anyone had expected.

Kuno's first impulse was to gloat in the thought that he had smashed his enemy into a pulp with a single blow, but then the flat of Ranma's hand came down on the top of his head and shoved his face into the concrete, breaking the sidewalk as though it had been struck by a chisel. Ranma continued on in his vault to land with perfect grace on both feet on the other side of the prone Tatewaki.

"Man," Ranma snorted, "I'll bet your speeches last a lot longer than most of your fights."

Nabiki gasped, no less astonished than anyone else present. Ranma was THAT good of a fighter? She had not even seen him move, had only been ready to shout out his name when the boy seemingly waited until the last instant before dodging Kuno's attack. The blast that Kuno had unleashed would have fused steel into putty...and yet Ranma acted as if the release of such a powerful Chi-burst was nothing all that special. Again her estimate of his fighting ability continued to climb as she marveled that he could be this proficient in the Force without any formal Jedi training!

"H-How...DARE you do that to me?" Kuno's voice trembled with rage as he recovered from the tremendous assault to his own face and dignity, "You...will rue the day...you did this...to Kuno Tatewaki!"

"Yeah, right," Ranma cupped his hands behind his head and stood on one leg with seeming nonchalance, "Anytime you feel lucky, just come to me and I'll be happy to beat some sense into you, big guy."

To everyone's complete amazement the taller boy forced himself back to his feet then dusted off his hakama while flexing his head to apparently clear it of cobwebs. Shrugging his shoulders and moving his arms to increase their limberness, he turned and again gripped his bokken on both hands, speaking with as much level self-control as he could manage, "You have not yet won the day, fool! I still live to fight, and you are not even close to being my equal."

"And what makes you say that?" Ranma said casually, then snapped his fingers and said, "Oh yeah...that's right, it's the other way around. You're not good enough to take me on, is that it?"

"An insult-HAVE AT THEE!" and Kuno charged forward, thrusting again and again with the tip of his bokken. Ranma easily dodged his attacks and did a backflip, rolling to give himself some distance while forcing Tatewaki to keep thrusting forward

"Wow!" Nabiki heard one of the girls next to her remark, "Your boyfriend is pretty good!"

"He's not my boyfriend," Nabiki said before she had time enough to think about it.

"He's not?" asked another girl incredulously, "Does that mean I can have him?"

"No," Nabiki was amazed at how irritated she was at the question, "He's just this guy who's staying with my family...his father and my father are good friends, and they want us to be together."

She would have hit herself at that last remark, but before she could correct her own misstatement, she heard Akane calling up, "Hey Nabiki! Get back down here before your Iinazuke gets himself pounded!"

Nabiki winced and counted to three heartbeats before she heard the inevitable gasp, "IINAZUKE?"

"Great," Nabiki winced, "You're gonna pay for that one, little sister..."

Down below them even Kuno paused upon hearing that outburst. Incredulously he stared at Ranma in disbelief and said, "Iinazuke? Y-You are engaged to her? To Tendo Nabiki?"

"Hey, it's our Pops' idea!" Ranma hastily stammered, "We didn't agree to it!"

"Poor fool," Kuno lowered his sword, "To think that I should waste my wrath upon such a one as you when I ought to be offering my sincere and heartfelt pity."

"HEY!" both Ranma and Nabiki protested together.

"Never mind," Kuno began to turn away, "You obviously are much further gone into madness than I had imagined if you know not your ultimate peril. It would be a mercy for me to put you out of your misery like the rabid dog you obviously are, but instead I shall be lenient and let you off with a mere warning. Trouble not the house of Tendo with your presence, and stay far away from the beauteous Akane-EH!?"

All at once Kuno reacted to a perceived hint of danger, his bokken moving before the thought had even been expressed as he harmlessly deflected a number of hurled objects, one of which imbedded itself in the wood and splintered it down the middle, leaving Kuno to stare in dismay at his favored weapon.

"I think I've heard about as much as I care to about now, Jackass," a voice purred like a great cat stalking its prey on the open savanna, "Leave Ranma alone if you know what's good for you. He ain't yours to play with...that privilege belongs to me and no one else, Sugar."

"Huh?" Ranma remarked as he turned to see the approaching form of another tall boy, one who had long brown hair done up in a pony tail and was dressed from head to toe in a black version of a school uniform. It only took a second, however, to take notice of the curious weapon that rested across the back of this new arrival.

"Why Ranchan," the new arrival purred, "Is that all you've got to say to me after all these years?"

"Hey!" Akane protested, "You're that girl who attacked us yesterday? What...what are you doing wearing a boy's uniform?"

"Long story," the dark clad figure smiled thinly, "Maybe you'd like to tell us all about it, Ranchan...after all...I am your long-lost Iinazuke."

Complete silence reigned over the entire school yard, and then in one voice everyone chorused once again the word, "IINAZUKE?"

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Competing Love Interests: shadowmane

As you may have suspected it is Ukyo versus Nabiki in a match of the Jedi Masters, while Kasumi stands in the wings and worries deeply. Will Ranma be able to prevent a literal Cat-fight from turning into a blood bath, and what will he do once he is confronted by the truth that has remained long hidden in his past? Stay tuned for the next big installment: "Revenge of the Fianc es," or "Between Iraq and a Hard Space!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	6. Chapter 6

JediKasumi06

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader &amp;  
Brandon Kelly

(Inspired by Rumiko Takahashi and George Lucas)

Part Six.

A Pain in the Neko

Having survived the perils of his first day of class young Ranma Saotome must brave a second day where the trials and aggravations of mid-term adolescence is proving to be the least of his problems! Having forged a tentative friendship with Nabiki Tendo, one of his three prospective blushing fianc es, he is dismayed upon learning that someone else has a claim to lay against him, a mysterious woman from his past who just happens to be the dark Apprentice to the evil Sith Lord, Darth Purge. Will the villainous Kuonji Ukyo spoil the pure hopes of domestic bliss shared by our heroes? Or will the Dark Side forever claim all chances for a happy ending...?

Kasumi sat in quiet reflection in the center of the room that she ordinarily shared with her mentor, Trieste. Her legs were folded in the full-lotus posture and she was levitating above the floor by a half a meter, her mind and body as one while her spirit traveled freely on the plane of the Astral, attuned to the motions, curls and eddies of the Force that filled every fiber and the caused very molecules in the air to hum and vibrate to the rhythms of its flow. In such a state Kasumi was free to soar like an bird taking flight, traversing the high heavens as she listened to the song of the Heavens being sun in a choir-  
like chorus of celestial angels.

In such a state all things were manifest, and the past and present were as real as the moment, and the future itself was open to all possibilities, where to dream was to realize and to live was but a dream. In such a realm the secrets of time and space could be accessed, and Kasumi allowed her mind to flow and shift through the endless stream of data, hearing the whispering voices filling her thoughts with the secrets of the ages. Kasumi drifted and allowed her thoughts to flow like water, sorting through the raw elements of data to find the knowledge that she sought more than any other. Having no true desires or ambitions, she had little difficulty focusing her mind upon the one stream of emotional current that had resonance to the question she sought to answer, and by following the trail of this Karmic stream back towards its source she found it led her to the point of her greatest interest. Here she saw the sign of the Nekoken...a great black Cat crouching over a small boy, the guardian token of his shrouded past and the key to unlocking the secrets to his nature.

Kasumi approached the guardian without fear, for fear was an emotion of which she had little familiarity, being alien to the ways of the Jedi. The guardian acknowledged her with a growl of warning, but as Kasumi did not fear for her own life the creature recognized her determination. It gave one last sniff of caution then withdrew, allowing her to approach the cowering figure it had stood over all the while. Kasumi knelt down and saw the quivering shape of a small boy, possibly no more than six, and without needing to ask she recognized him as the astral shape of a boy who once had been known as Saotome Ranma.

"Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked gently.

"Go away!" the boy sobbed softly, "It hurts...it hurts so much...Poppa...make it stop hurting..."

"Are you in pain?" Kasumi asked, then saw that the boy's body was covered in numerous scratches.

"Poppa...why...did I do something bad? I'll be good...I promise...!"

Kasumi reached out to the boy, allowing her hand to hover just over his wounded form, hesitating only slightly as she gathered up her resolve then allowed that hand to make contact with the past incarnation of the boy she now know as Ranma. That contact caused a jolt to travel up and down her spine as her mind opened up and her astral form filled with the agony of his trembling visage. Her mind opened up as she experienced the feeling of helplessness, pain and fear that had filled his tiny frame, and in that moment-for the first time in many ages-  
Kasumi had felt the fear and desperation of a tiny child who had been betrayed by a foolish father, and she screamed aloud, a scream that sent her reeling back into her physical body, even as she fell to the floor, having totally lost her concentration.

Trieste reacted at once to the sudden shift in the serenity of her favorite pupil, for anything that could strike terror into the heart of Kasumi was something to be reckoned with indeed! Kimiko was just slightly behind her as both women raced for the stairs, a mother's love for her daughter putting the Tendo matron on an even footing with the ultra-perceptive Jedi Mistress.

They burst in upon the Spartan room that served both Jedi and Padawan as sufficient living quarters. Trieste saw her Apprentice huddled on the floor weeping softly, and her first impulse was to go to her aid, only to sense that such would not be a prudent course of action. She raised a hand to still Kimiko's similar impulses and urged they wait until Kasumi regained her composure. It took several minutes but at last the sobbing subsided, and then Kasumi sat upright and took notice of their presence, dabbing tears from her eyes as she said serenely, "Mistress...Mother...I did not hear you enter."

"Kasumi-chan?" Kimiko asked, "What happened? Is anything wrong?"

"Yes mother," Kasumi said with complete composure, "Something is very wrong...something that I needed to find out about. I now know why Ranma is afraid of cats, and why he...behaved the way he did yesterday."

"So," Trieste murmured, "You dared risk the Siege Perilous."

"Forgive me, Sensei," Kasumi lowered her eyes, "I know the technique is dangerous, but I had to know..."

"You did what your instincts told you was necessary," Trieste waved the point aside, "There is nothing to regret. Your heart has always been pure, and you acted with the purest of motives."

"Would someone care to let me in on this?" Kimiko asked, "What have you learned, Kasumi? What was so terrible that it made you cry out like that? I've never heard you cry over anything..."

"I know, Mother," Kasumi stood upright, "And I will share what I know with you...but first...where is...Uncle Genma?"

Trieste smiled as she saw her Apprentice assert control over her emotions, but she could tell beneath the surface that Kasumi was literally seething with heretofore-unknown emotions. Even in all their time of traveling together Kasumi had never truly made acquaintance with such emotions as hate and anger, and though she was still a long way from feeling such intense disdain for another person's life, she was very much upset and wanted to make it known to the object of her quiet outrage.

For someone who had never been known to have so much as a temper that was saying a lot, and Trieste silently avowed that (to borrow an Earth phrase) she would not wish to be in Genma's place for all the Tea in China...

"I-Iinazuke?" Ranma stammered, "Since when did that happen?'

"You mean you don't remember?" Ukyo regarded the boy levelly, "Since our fathers agreed to it, Stupid. You even took my dowry then left me abandoned along the side of the road like so much used garbage..."

"You did what?" Tatewaki turned in outrage, "Saotome, you Churl...!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ranma waved his hands, "I don't remember doing anything like that!"

"You don't?" Akane glared, "And I suppose you don't remember planning to do that to my sister either!"

"What the heck are you talking about?" Ranma said, clearly appalled, "I'd never do a thing like that to Nabiki!"

Nabiki, for her part, was gripping the railing on the third story balcony hard enough to whiten her knuckles, fighting for control while reeling from the daunting realization that this other girl-Sith trained no less-was an actual rival...at least in name if not in substance. Emotions churned up within her, fighting to overwhelm the discipline built up over a lifetime. This process was in no way made simple by the murmured comments that she overheard of her fellow classmates.

"Did you hear that?"

"Nabiki's Iinazuke is too-timing her with another woman?"

"The nerve of that guy, poor Nabiki!"

Nabiki wanted to tell them all to go bugger off, but before she could she heard Ukyo say, "Oh, so it's just me you'd run off and betray, huh?"

(Saotome), Nabiki thought past the crumbling barrier over her emotions, (I trusted you...how could you?)

But then she heard Ranma reply, "But Ukyo...we were only six at the time...and when did you turn into a girl? Is that another curse from Jusenkyo?"

Nabiki blinked her eyes. Only SIX?

"No, you Jackass!" Ukyo growled, "I've been a girl all my life! What, did you think I was a sex-changing freak like you? Our fathers wouldn't exactly have engaged us if we were both the same sex, would they?"

"Wha-? Wait!" Ranma protested, "You were a GIRL? But...what...what do you mean about an engagement?" there was a slight pause before Ranma's tone and expression darkened, and then in an outraged voice he cried, "OYAJI!"

"What, are you telling me you didn't know about it?" Ukyo snorted, "Yeah...right! Next thing you'll know you'll be saying that you preferred Okonomiyaki over ME! That's why you and your thief of an old man made off with my father's Yatai, right?"

"Wait a minute! Time out!" Ranma demanded, "Your Yatai? You mean that cart you and your part used to drag around in Kyoto? But...I don't get it!"

"Isn't it obvious to anyone, you dolt?" Kuno snarled, "Yon maiden was promised to you as an innocent flower and you ground her heart under your heel with the indifference of callow youth, and now she has bitter memories turned towards you and a heart hardened like steel over your betrayal."

"That's not what happened at all!" Ranma protested.

"That's exactly what happened in a nutshell, Sugar," Ukyo's voice was hard enough to chip flint, "My father lost his business and I was dishonored by your rejection. It's taken me ten years to track you down, but now I'm gonna make you pay for what I've gone through! Believe me, when I get done with you you're gonna know what suffering is, the humiliation of being made worthless in my father's eyes, of being called less than feminine by the other girls in my class! Do you have any idea what it feels like being called no better than a BOY? You're gonna pay for that, Jackass...in SPADES!"

"Wait-wait!" Ranma pleaded, "I don't understand any of this! How is it my fault that the old man set things up like this?"

"Gee, I don't know," Akane responded, "Maybe 'cause he's a worthless piece of human gutter trash, and you take right after him?"

"Hey, you're not helping!" Ranma protested.

"Like I give a damn!" Akane rounded on him, "Your father set it up so that one of us has to marry you, only he made a separate deal with another guy to have you marry his daughter, and-worst of all-you STOLE this girl's Yatai, her Dowry! Do you have any idea how humiliated she must have been? I can't even imagine how much she's had to put up with over the years because of your thoughtlessness!"

"Eh?" Ukyo eyed the dark haired girl with a mildly puzzled expression, surprised to find herself being defended by a hated spawn of the Jedi, the blood enemies of her Sith order.

"But I didn't even know that Ucchan was a girl!" Ranma insisted.

"You see?" Akane sniffed, "You even called her 'Ucchan,' you two-timing bastard!"

"That was just a name we called each other as kids!" Ranma pleaded, "Remember, you used to call me Ranchan? I thought it was because we were buddies..."

"Buddies?" Ukyo seemed-if anything-even more incensed than ever, "And what am I to you really? Just an old shoe you threw away? Remember how we met, when you'd come by to steal some okonomiyaki from our cart and I'd try to stop you? You'd knock me down and steal free samples!"

"Hey, your Pop never seemed to mind," Ranma argued, "He thought it was just a game, which is what my Pop told me it was. We'd just fool around like kids and then shake hands about it afterward! Remember when your Pop asked my Pop and me to share a camp together?"

"Because he felt sorry for you, that's why," Ukyo growled, "You two were starving because your old man was too lazy to find honest work, and he taught you to steal so he wouldn't have to work as hard! My dad took pity on your guys, and because you were such a good fighter even then he thought maybe we could combine our schools...but how were we to know you'd just run off and leave me in the dirt?"

"How awful," Akane sympathized, "No wonder you turned to the Dark Side. You really must have gone through hell over this."

"You don't have any idea, Sugar," Ukyo sounded slightly deflated, then she blinked her eyes as if to realize in dismay what she was doing and hastily resumed her outrage, "And that's why I'm going to avenge myself on you for every day I've suffered, Saotome!"

"But I never meant you any harm, Ucchan!" Ranma insisted, "The Old Man never even told me we were engaged!"

"I have heard enough!" Tatewaki cried in outrage, reaching a hand back behind his head and pulling out another bokken from concealment, "This time, Saotome, our fight is for real!"

"Oh, give me a break," Ranma sighed as he moved to avoid a powerful thrust by the taller boy, "Don't you ever give it up?"

"NEVER!" Kuno snarled, "HAVE AT THEE!"

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "Hey...wait just a minute...!"

"Might as well forget it," Akane sighed, "Kuno's not going to listen when he gets worked up like this."

Nabiki silently agreed with that assessment, judging that Tatewaki was in full "Avenger" mode and wouldn't be listening to reason until he got his face pounded silly. For her own part she was silently putting it all together and forming a tentative conclusion, one that gave her a new insight into the enigma that was Saotome Ranma, an insight that would bear closer investigation in the very near future.

Kuno was charging forward with great speed in his slashing and thrusting attacks, his bokken a mere blur as he used more complex combinations than had been displayed in any of his earlier fights. He was proving to be a good deal faster than Ranma had expected, but nowhere near fast enough to connect. The battle was oddly silent as Ranma lazily dodged the striking wood, making it seem almost easy the way he stayed out of Kuno's reach, always one step ahead of anything the other boy attempted.

"Hold still, blast you!" Kuno snarled in righteous indignation.

"Yeah, right!" Ranma chuckled as he continued jumping and dodging, bouncing off trees and walls like a demented ping pong ball. The game of cat and mouse went on for some time, but Ranma finally made a mistake and got careless, dodging to the left in a move that was anticipated by Kuno, which accidentally brought the pig-tailed boy directly up in front of the upperclassman. Kuno was ready, his bokken dissolving into a virtual whirlwind as he yelled, "TATATATATATATA..." and suddenly Ranma was forced to his top speed and began to dodge for everything he was worth.

Nabiki couldn't believe her eyes. Kuno's strikes had to be force powered! This went well beyond the boy's talent in that peculiar discipline he called Nampo and showed more advanced mind-and-body technique than Kuno had heretofore demonstrated. She extended her senses to fully see the fight and-sure enough-  
-her hypothesis was confirmed. Kuno was using the force to speed and steady his arm and his sword to where there was hardly any separation point where one ended and the other marked its beginning.

(Where in the hell did he learn...? Akane! I'd bet all my yen on it!) Nabiki silently averred, (She never did like being low key about her training. He's probably studying her in all their previous fights! Sis, you and I are going to have a little chat), she mentally promised Akane.

Hopefully Kuno's newfound level of skill wouldn't be anywhere near as formidable as a fully trained force talent. After all, you could only go so far on self-  
study and independent observation! Judging by their sparring on the previous two evenings there was still a good chance that Ranma would be able to win this. She had a sneaking suspicion that the boy had been holding back some even when promising to fight her all-out. If he was lucky, he'd still have enough left to beat Kuno.

She certainly hoped that was the case, if only because Ukyo was still waiting in the wings ready to dish out punishment to Ranma whether he was the victor or the loser!

After what seemed like an eternity, Kuno's sword slowed and came to a momentarily pause. Ranma was a little dazed at the unexpected ferociousness of the other boy's attack, having reckoned Kuno to be a lightweight on his first superficial impresion.

(Whoa, he is FAST! Ranma thought to himself during the breather, (Good thing I'm a lot faster. I...) Ranma suddenly became aware of a faint trickle down his cheek reached up to touch a warm spot and came away with a stain red stain discoloring his fingers. The implications of this took another full moment to register, and then his blue eyes suddenly blazed with outrage.

"You cut me!" he exclaimed in disbelief, "You ain't half bad, guy, but I'm still gonna pound you silly!"

And-to the surprise of everyone, Ranma was actually smiling as he said that.

"Naturally I am your superior," Kuno replied, "You have some small skill of your own, and I have never had to work this hard to score a point against an opponent. Still I am the Blue Thunder..."

"Hot wind is more like it," Ranma settled down into a fighting crouch, "How 'bout we finish this now, man to man?"

"I couldn't agree with you more," Kuno settled in to a stance of preparation, "You do have a fighting spirit, it will almost be a pity to see it broken."

Ukyo finally broke through the weird daze that had been holding her silent until now and said, "HEY!"

"Awfully confident, ain'tcha?" Ranma fatalistically, "But you'll have to do better than to talk me to death!"

"Oh, I shall do better, have no doubt on that," Kuno promised, grinning back as if he too were enjoying the encounter.

"HEY!" Ukyo tried again, "I'M TALKING HERE! ARE YOU TWO DEAF OR SOMETHING?"

"They're boys," Akane said indifferently, "What else would you expect?"

"Since you're a guy, and pretty good, I don't have to hold back," Ranma raised his hands in preparation.

"You were holding back?" Kuno sounded offended, then without warning the two antagonists came rushing together, clearly intending the next blow to be the finishing delivery.

But Ukyo had had enough, and Nabiki felt the hackles on her arm-hairs stand on end as she sensed the rage gathering force in the other girl, then watched in dismay as the dark-clad girl turned that rage into a black wellspring of Anti-  
Force that she brought down with a crashing thunder on the space between the two combatants, literally bursting forth like an explosion of blackness that shattered the concrete into a spiderweb like pattern.

Dead silence reigned as dust and debris settled over the schoolyard and then students sheltering their eyes looked in dull amazement at the smoldering crater at the center of the blast site.

And-slightly to one side of the crater-was a stunned and dazed Kuno Tatewaki...still clutching at the smoldering pieces of what had been his favored weapon, now turned into a pile of so much splinters.

"Whoah," Ranma exclaimed as he settled back down to the Earth, having dodged the blast one instant before it could happen, "Now that was something!"

"Impressed, Sugar?" Ukyo smiled past thin-lips, "'Cause that's only a small taste of what I have in store for you if continue playing dumb about our engagement."

"It ain't pretence, Ucchan," Ranma assured her, "I really don't remember us getting engaged. It was all the fault of my stupid old man! Pop set things up and he never told me a thing about it!"

"Sure, and you're just an innocent bystander," Ukyo growled, reaching for her Baker's peel, "No way do you get off for ten long years with a line like that one..."

"Oh, forget about it," Akane spoke up.

"Huh?" Ukyo glared at her, "What was that?"

"So he messed up your life and humiliated you in front of everyone when you were six," Akane reasoned, "He isn't worth messing up your whole life. You're better than he is, so why waste your time seeing vengeance against somebody who's too stupid to even tell what sex you are?"

"And what's your part in all this," Ukyo asked before adding a pointed, "Sugar?"

"Oh, other than the fact that my baka sister seems to be hung up on the jerk, nothing...nothing at all," Akane said matter-of-factly, "Frankly I can't even blame you for being upset over him. He's rude, coarse, crude and obnoxious. If I were in your place I'd probably feel the same way...in fact I'd be just as happy to watch you pound some sense into his thick hide...it's serve him right if he got beat up by a GIRL," she added the latter part with a sweet jibe in Ranma's direction.

"Hey!" Ranma protested, "Whose side are you on anyway?"

"If you thought I was on your side, you're very much mistaken," Akane said smugly, "Ever since we've met you've done nothing but insult me, hit on both of my sisters and tried to mooch off my Dad because he and your Dad used to train together. Why exactly should I care if you get your fool head busted in after the way you've treated this poor girl? If you ask me, you'd just get what was coming to you, and good riddance to bad rubbish."

"You know," Nabiki heard one of her classmates murmur, "Akane does have a point..."

Ukyo seemed genuinely taken aback by the declaration by what she had thought would be a mere nuisance and looked questioningly at Akane, "You really mean that? You don't mind if I hit him?"

"Be my guest," Akane waved a hand, "I'd even help you if you wouldn't mind me interfering."

For a moment Ukyo remained where she was, obviously thinking that one over, but then she smiled and re-slung her backers peel over her back, smiling at Akane as she said, "I think you and me just might get along after all, Sugar. Guess maybe you're right, he ain't worth get all that worked up over."

"Hey!" Ranma again protested.

"I'm still gonna take my pound of flesh out of your hide, Ranchan," Ukyo declared tightly, "But I'll choose when and how I'm gonna pay you back for ten years of humiliation. You just think that over, and in the meantime...say 'Hi' to your old man. He's also on my list. Now, if it's all the same to you guys, I think it's about time we got to our classes."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked.

"Excuse me?" Akane did likewise.

"Well, after all...it's my first day enrolling in this fine establishment," Ukyo grinned hugely, "You think I'm so caught up on my vengeance schtick that I don't have the time to attend school? No such luck, Sugar...I've got my own academic career to look after."

So saying the dark-clad girl turned and walked towards the building, leaving Ranma and Akane to follow her with their eyes while Tatewaki groaned something about getting the number of the conveyance that just hit him.

"So...she's going to be a classmate, eh?" Nabiki mused to herself, "Interesting..." It intrigued her to have learned so much about her reluctant iinazuke in the last few minutes and could not wait to use the knowledge to her advantage. Ranma still had secrets worth plumbing after all, and Nabiki intended to exploit her advantage. At the very least she was willing to put Ranma on probation for having a second fianc e.

At least until she heard the full details from his side of the story and then...well...there was always Uncle Genma...

Genma sneezed, wondering if that meant that his name was being mentioned, or perhaps he was just coming down with some illness to which men were Panda curses were especially prone. At any event it hardly got him out of the current situation that he was being confronted with by three very irate members of the Tendo household, most disturbing of all being that Trieste woman, whose eyes bore into the soul and made it impossible for a man to properly lie about anything. He was fighting the nervous impression that he was on trial or something, and that those eyes had just pronounced him guilty.

"So..." the annoying woman said, "You subjected your son to such horrors in order to make of him a better fighter, and you weren't concerned at all with the possible long-term consequences?"

"I-I didn't know that there would be any lasting psychological problems," Genma swallowed, "I never read that far in the manual..."

"And if you had would it truly have made a difference?" Trieste asked gravely, "Small wonder I sensed so much pain, fear and anger in the boy. He carries such a great weight within him...it is amazing he is as stable as he seems upon the surface."

"Saotome," Tendo shook his head sadly, "How could you?"

"Rather easily it would seem," replied Kimiko.

Kasumi did not say anything, nor did she have to. Her eyes were accusation enough, though touched with sadness and an infinite wellspring of pity that lacked the self-righteous judgmentalism that Genma often encounter and had for so long resented.

"You don't know..." Genma looked down, "You don't know what it's been like...what a trial it's been training the boy, raising him to achieve his full potential. I've done everything I could to lead him on the path of martial arts glory..."

"Glory?" Trieste considered the word as if it were a novelty, "I find little glory in brow-beating your son to make him despise any show of human weakness in himself or others, nor in shaming him with words to make him hate you enough to fight full-out as though you were blood enemies instead of son and father. You berate him for his curse and you call it shameful, but the shame was with you for inflicting it upon him in the first place. And...on top of everything else...this...travesty you call a training method..."

"But it's not just about training," Genma said defensively, "Tendo-san...you understand. You know what we experienced at the hands of the Master!"

"Indeed I do," Soun glanced down at the floor and his shoulder sagged with releasing tension, "I am sorry, old friend...I had almost managed to forget those horrors..."

"Horrors?" Kimiko asked, "Dearest...you have told me that your training was rigorous and demanding..."

"It was that and more," Soun replied, "Much more...the Master demanded much from the both of us...and yes, he did things to us that make it very understandable why Saotome would...train his son in such a manner."

"Father?" Kasumi looked at him with a visible question in her expression.

"Forgive me," Soun slowly raised his eyes to glance at his wife and eldest daughter, "It has not been easy to speak about those years. Saotome and I...we were little better than slaves. The Master would come into our lives and tell us to follow him, and we would drop everything to do what he willed for us, travelling over hill and dale to do his slightest bidding, all in the name of learning the Anything Goes Ryu. The Master's methods for training...they do not bear recitation."

"I see," Trieste regarded the man who had become a part of her life with more sympathy than she had displayed before Genma, "In other words being made to foot the bill when your Master stole a meal without paying was very demanding...and helping him to steal lingerie was a horror to match anything that Saotome-san here ever inflicted on a mere infant."

"Urk!" Soun reacted with dismay.

"Dearest?" Kimiko raised her eyebrows.

"Father?" Kasumi also blinked.

"I've known for quite some time that you carry more than your share of regrets from that period, Soun-chan," Trieste replied, "I've learned not to judge you too harshly...but it seems that Saotome here has yet to learn from his own errors. To the best of my recollection you have never similarly mistreated any of your own daughters."

"Well, how could he?" Genma reasonably asked, "He's had you to look after-  
ah..." Genma swallowed and reconsidered the wisdom of further talking.

"You are quite right, of course," Trieste replied, "I have been here to offer what support I may to Soun-chan...and he has had Kimiko-chan standing beside him to ease the horror of those memories that the two of you shared together. You, on the other hand, spurned the only sympathetic voice that might have guided you to the correct and honorable path when you took your son away from the loving arms of his mother. Ten long years of separation, and in all that time have you even attempted to communicate with her to let her know how things are progressing with you both?"

"Ah...well..." Genma swallowed.

"I am so glad that you brought this up, my dearest friend," Kimiko smiled, "It just so happens that I was able to reach Nodoka-chan at her home using a phone number that I had all but forgotten. It's been so long since we last saw each other...nearly twenty years in fact...that I am dying to see how she has been getting along with herself, and she was so delighted when I told her that her son and husband were staying with us..."

"WHAT?" Genma exclaimed and visibly paled, "Nodoka is coming here? Looking for me and..." he swallowed, "Ranma?"

"What's wrong, Saotome?" Soun asked, "I should think that was wonderful news..."

"I have to leave!" Genma got to his feet with a panicked expression, "She mustn't find us! If she sees the boy and learns about the curse...!"

"What?" Trieste frowned, "What is this? Why are you so afraid of her visiting? What are you hiding, fellow?"

"Nothing!" Genma insisted, turning to leave, "I've just gotta go-!"

He suddenly found his way blocked by Kasumi, who had moved so fluidly that she was all but undetectable, and one look in her eyes was enough to freeze the burly man in his tracks. Kasumi was not so much upset this time as very focused in her emotions, and then instinct caused her to stare at the man's shirt as though looking through the faded material. A moment of decision was reached and-steeling herself against the distaste of her own actions-she reached into Genma's Gi and pulled something out form a point of concealment.

"Hey!" he started to protest, only to find those EYES hold him in check once again. Kasumi waited until she was satisfied that the man would not prove any trouble then calmly unfolded a faded piece of paper to reveal the stained and blurred handwriting of a man who could hardly spell his own name in decent kanji. Frowning slightly, Kasumi passed her hand over the paper and all at once the lettering revealed itself in perfectly worded Katakana.

"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed, the paper falling suddenly from nerveless fingers.

"Let me see," Trieste said as she smoothly plucked the sheet out of the air, performing the same gesture with her hand to cause the lettering to once again become readable, and then with a moment of silence studied the parchment, then frowned in a most ominous manner.

"I see," she said, "Small wonder that you fear meeting up with your wife then."

"Excuse me?" Kimiko blinked, "Is there something wrong? Kasumi-chan? Trieste-  
chan?"

"See for yourself," Trieste handed over the paper, allowing Soun and Kimiko to read the translated copy summoned up by her powers.

"Oh my!" Soun's eyes grew very wide.

"Oh no!" Kimiko swallowed, "She wouldn't...she couldn't...?"

"She would," Genma said like a man having just heard the pronouncement of his own death sentence, "Believe me...she would."

"Sensei?" Kasumi asked as she turned back to her mentor, "What can we do about this?"

"I don't really know," Trieste replied, "But if I were you, Child, I would go find Ranma and your sisters. They must be informed of the danger at once."

"Hai," Kasumi nodded, already moving to the exit with more haste than was normally seemly for a Jedi...

"Ranma-kun?"

"Ah...?" Ranma glanced down from the tree branch behind the gym in which he was presently perched during their school lunch break, "Nabiki?"

"That's my name," Nabiki found herself smiling awkwardly, "What other fianc es were you expecting?"

"That ain't funny," Ranma sighed, "If the old man could do it twice he mighta done it before...I wouldn't put anything past the baka."

"So I've gathered," Nabiki replied, "Would you mind some company? We need to talk."

"Ah...sure," Ranma swallowed, making himself ready to vault out of the tree branch.

"Don't bother, I'll come up to you," Nabiki informed him, and then with a Force-  
enhanced leap she vaulted into the branches and found a purchase very near to where by boy had been reclining. Settling down to take a nominally relaxed stance she said, "I can see the advantages of being up here...makes it harder for people to overhear us."

"Yeah...right," Ranma found himself staring at the girl beside him with more nervousness than he had ever felt during an impending battle. He could not help noticing just how beautiful she was, and yet the look in her expression was troubling, and it did not take much effort even for him to fathom the reason, "Look...about Ucchan..."

"Ucchan is it?" Nabiki asked, "That's a mighty odd way of referring to a girl who's vowed that she plans to kill you."

"Ah...yeah...well, it's kind of a reflex," Ranma scratched the back of his head again and said, "I'm sorry you had to see that. I had no idea that any of this was going down. I honestly didn't even know she was a girl! It's been ten years since the last time I saw her..."

"You don't need to explain that part to me," Nabiki replied, "I believe you."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "You do?"

"I'd know if you were lying," Nabiki winked at him, "I'm psychic, remember?"

"Oh...yeah, heh," Ranma said nervously, "Guess you would at that..."

"Ranma," Nabiki eyed him sidelong, "Just how well do you know your own father?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, then frowned, "Too well if you ask me! That baka don't have any more sense than the law allows! Imagine engaging me to two girls and not even telling me! I ain't even gonna try and explain that stuff about him stealing the Yatai..."

"And I thought him engaging one of us to you was thoughtless," Nabiki rolled her eyes, fully aware of the irony of her own statement, "But...you know...I'm not sorry about getting to know you."

"You're not?" Ranma's surprise was doubled.

"Ah-huh," Nabiki replied, "You're a pretty special guy, even more than you think you are. You handled Kuno like he was yesterday's news, and I don't think anybody else not Force-trained could have stood up to Kuonji half as well as you did, and you didn't even go berserk at the end there."

"Well, how could I?" Ranma reasoned, "Ain't nothing around to cause that to happen...especially not C-c-c-c-c-ca..."

"You mean Cats?" Nabiki asked, then marveled at the way the boy had such difficulty even pronouncing the word, not to mention the cold sweat that broke out over his brow as he noticeably shivered.

"Y-Yeah...right," Ranma shuddered.

"I don't get it," Nabiki said, "Why are you so afraid of those animals? You freaked out when you saw Ukyo in her cursed form..."

"Pops doing," Ranma glanced down, "Back when I was seven...he got this stupid training manual that was supposed to teach me the dreaded N-N-N-N-Neko-ken!"

"The Neko-Ken?" Nabiki repeated and was rewarded by seeing Ranma nod in affirmation.

"Yeah," he forced himself to continue, "You wrap a guy...meaning me...in some fish sausages and throw him into a pit of starving...animals...an' I don't remember much beyond that."

"Fish sausages?" Nabiki blinked, "A pit of starving...cats?"

"Yeah," Ranma barely whispered the word, and Nabiki could see he was shaking violently from the memory of his ordeal.

"And you were SEVEN?" Nabiki went on in horrified fascination.

"Yeah..." Ranma breathed again, "And...it didn't just happen one time...he did it again...and again...hoping I'd finally learn to...to..."

"Kami-sama..." Nabiki whispered, too horrified to continue.

"So..." Ranma said after a long, drawn-out moment, "Now when I...see a...thing...I...I just can't...it's like...like I'm back there again...ohgawd! I can feel them crawling over me...biting me...licking the sausages...I just...I just blank out...and then I wake up someplace else and I don't even remember how I got there!"

"You blank out?" Nabiki was utterly amazed, recalling vividly how this boy had become a human cat in all but body. This "Nekoken" was unquestionably very powerful, but the effect it had on the boy's psyche...anger suddenly rose up within her breast, righteous fury directed towards the foolish Panda who had done this to HER Ranma...

HER?

Ranma?

Nabiki blinked, wondering where in the hell she had suddenly gotten so possessive!

After a long drawn-out moment Ranma regained control over himself and was able to speak normally once again, "It was bad at first, but I've kinda gotten used to it. The only real problem is I can even think about C-c-cats without breaking into a cold sweat, and I can't even think around the smell of Jaccui!"

Nabiki was utterly amazed. Suddenly so much made sense about this Saotome Ranma. Underneath his exterior persona, which manifested as an arrogant macho jerk too full of himself to take other people seriously, he was really very much a small, badly abused and lonely child-figure. Nabiki was slowly coming to realize the extent of the mental damage his own father had inflicted upon Ranma, and it made her angry in ways that she had never heretofore experience. She felt an uncommon urge to protect the boy, to shelter him from the perils of life to which he had been subjected in such abundance.

It was definitely not like her to feel this sensitive in the presence of another human being not directly related to her by blood, but there was so much about this Saotome Ranma that appealed to her, whether it was honest empathy or latent maternal instinct she could not truly say for certain. She had great respect for his martial abilities, and it was clear that the Force was strong within him, but beyond all that was a person of even greater potential waiting to emerge from the cocoon-like shell in which he had hidden his softer emotions. Sure he could be brash and a little thoughtless, but in spite of all that he had been through he still was a genuinely kind and good-natured sort of person. He had character flaws all right, but at heart he was definitely a good guy.

(Of course, the fact that he's got a great butt and a killer smile doesn't hurt either). Nabiki reddened a little at the thought. Where had that come from?

As Nabiki blushed, she felt the distinctive ripple in the force that announced the presence of her older sister, Kasumi.

"Nabiki-chan? Ranma-kun? Are you up there?"

Nabiki was a bit torn between concern and resentment on having her private moment be interrupted, "What's up, Sis?"

"Sensei wants you both to come home right now," Kasumi gently informed them, "Something very important has come up and we need to explain things to you both in a hurry."

"Huh?" Ranma glanced down at the older girl, "What's up? Are we being attacked by those Sith guys again?"

"I'm afraid it's nothing so simple as that, Ranma-kun," Kasumi hesitated before adding, "It's about your mother."

There was a very slight pause before Ranma exclaimed, "My...my mother? But...she's...she's..."

"Very much alive, I'm afraid," Kasumi replied, "Your father lied to you...I don't suppose that's very surprising?"

"HE WHAT?" Ranma reacted in a mixture of shock and outrage, "WHY THAT-I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"

"Perhaps later," Kasumi said with a completely matter-of-fact expression, "But now...there is something you need to know about your mother."

"Like what?" Ranma was almost livid with outrage, "That the Old Man told me she was dead when she was still alive? I swear to you, I really am gonna kill him!"

"Ah...perhaps Nabiki might care to take a look at this," Kasumi held out a faded piece of paper, which same levitated from the palm of her hand up to where Nabiki could reach it, and then the middle Tendo girl performed the same obscure translation technique that revealed the words on the parchment, read it silently for a moment then blanched.

"HE WHAT?" she all but exploded.

"So," Kasumi sighed, "You can see the problem...now perhaps you could explain it to Ranma-kun?"

"Explain what?" Ranma demanded, "What's that thing say that's so damned important?"

"Ranma-kun," Nabiki swallowed, "Do you remember the terms which your father agreed to when he left your mother and took you with him on a ten year training mission?

"Terms?" Ranma blinked, "What terms?"

"That's what I thought," Nabiki sighed, "So you didn't voluntarily swear that you would commit seppuku if you failed to become a 'Man among Men?'"

"If I...what?" Ranma blinked and then without warning fell out of the tree branch and would no doubt have hurt himself if Kasumi had not extended the Force to catch him.

"Oh my," Kasumi exclaimed, "I believe he fainted."

"I may be joining him in another minute," Nabiki said as she vaulted down to the ground, took a moment to examine the unconscious boy, then growled, "On second thought I'd too mad for that. I want blood, Kasumi...and I don't even care what Sensei says about revenge. When I get my hands on that stupid Panda..."

"You may have to wait in line," Kasumi said in complete candor, "His mother may be the first one to do it for us if we do not hurry and return to the dojo."

"Right, gotcha," Nabiki took a moment to study the helpless Ranma, then a smile broke across her face, "I've got me an idea, Sis...there way be a way to work ourselves out of this just yet."

"I know that feeling," Kasumi murmured, "You are planning something, aren't you?"

"Trust me," Nabiki replied, "It's for a good cause, as you'll see in another moment."

The two Tendo sisters agreed and combined their efforts to telekinetically carry Ranma to the back of the Gym where a handy garden hose awaited, and all the while they barely sensed the ripple in the distance as a certain dark-clad girl stepped out from hiding, smiling to herself as she mused, "So...a suicide pact, huh? This is almost too perfect..."

Ukyo chuckled to herself as she left the schoolyard, almost skipping in merriment as a fiendish plan took form in her mind, one that would spell further complications in the already troubled life of Saotome Ranma...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Oral Arguments for the Defense: shadowmane

Nabiki and Kasumi plot to save the life of their prospective iinazuke from the perils of a Mother's Love gone Mad, while Trieste and the Tendo clan play gracious hostess for the reuniting of the long estranged Saotomes, and Ukyo decides to crash the party-but wait! Is there yet another mysterious stranger about to do her own share of serious gate-crashing? Be with us next time for: "The Hentai Strikes Back," or "That Girl I Dread to Remember!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  



	7. Chapter 7

JediKasumi07

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim R Bader And Brandon Kelley

(Inspired by the Works of Rumiko Takahashi and George Lucas)

Episode Seven.

Askewed Hope

The battle against Kuno is left undecided and Ukyo has resolved to postpone her vengeance in order to taunt her nominal rival, Tendo Nabiki. However, when word reaches Ukyo's ear that the target of her obsession, Saotome Ranma Ranma may be in peril from a foolish pledge made by his father, she resolves to exploit the situation and make life more complicated for her adversaries...

Darth Purge did not know what to make of his Apprentice, seeing her return early from her first day enrolled in classes as an undercover operative. Kuonji had been very secretive about why she needed the day off from training and practice, but she said openly that she had mischief in mind that would spell the doom of their enemies, and she seemed to genuinely mean it, which was why he decided to allow her free reign, even if she was being unusually evasive about her chosen method of seeking vengeance.

The others in their little circle of Darkness were no less confused at Kuonji's unusual antics. The girl had declared that she needed to change into a new form of battle-gear then shooed them off from the lake so that she could dress for combat in her newly acquired armor. As much as the other boys resented her most times, they did confess to being more than slightly intrigued as Kuonji was certainly a most attractive member of the opposite gender, and each boy had his own reasons for noticing this factor whenever they thought to ogle her in secret.

"You ask me she's flipped," Taro voiced in agitation, "This Saotome guy has her acting all nuts. I'm surprised the Boss hasn't stepped in to correct her about the fact that she's supposed to be busy ripping his heart out."

"She'll probably get around to it in time," Mousse noted, "She's been waiting ten years to get revenge on the guy, you can't expect her to rush things."

"Then why doesn't she just confront Ranma and smash his face in?" Ryoga asked, "She could do it easily, just like she could do it to you guys."

"Don't you mean you too, Porky?" Taro challenged.

"I just don't go all out with her," Ryoga frowned, "I could beat her easy, even if she is strong with the Force. Besides, I want to be the one who crushes Ranma. She can have what's left after I get finished."

"Still...it is very odd that she doesn't want us to see what she's planning," Mousse allowed, "And I fail to see how this is going to bring me any closer to fulfilling my own quest. I want Saotome to live just long enough to explain what happened between him and Shampoo in our village. She took off after the guy and hasn't been seen or heard from again. I've been looking everywhere...but I just can't find her..."

"You think he did something to your girlfriend?" Taro asked.

The longhaired Chinese boy's expression clouded, "He'd better not or I'll..."

"All ready, Boys," Ukyo announced as she suddenly appeared in their midst, "What do you think?"

Three male human heads swung over in her direction and gaped as though they were looking upon a complete stranger. Purge stared from where he was sitting and blanched (or as much so as his scales would permit), for as long as she had known his Apprentice he had never known her to go in for THAT sort of get-up!

The Apprenticed Sith Lord had on a dress that was very low-cut and strapless on one shoulder, both casual and revealing in ways that flattered her normally concealed figure to good effect while showing off a considerable amount of leg along the sides, which (not coincidentally) also allowed her a considerable range of free movement.

"Uh...excuse me..." Ryoga blinked, "But...who are you?"

"Moron," Taro commented absently, then looked Kuonji up and down before saying, "THIS is your idea of combat?"

"Sure is, Sugar," Ukyo winked his way, "For the kind of battle I'll be waging this is the perfect form of armament. C'Mon...'fess up...don't I look like the sort of girl that any boy would want to show off to his mother?"

"But...but I thought you were trying to kill him," Mousse swallowed, "Not give him a heart attack!"

"One's just as good as the other," Ukyo smiled, "My plan is simple...Ranma's in trouble because his Mom wants him to be manly, but if I show up and spoil things for the Tendos by revealing the facts around my engagement to Ranma, just how do you think that's gonna make him look in front of his Momma?"

"And you expect her to exact retribution?" Purge finally had to ask.

"Either on her son or her husband, maybe both," Ukyo shrugged, "Either way's a plus for me, and it'll throw real doubt and confusion into the Tendos. Those Jedi smart-asses are gonna suffer big time, which'll make them ripe for the killing once they're demoralized and missing a boy-friend."

"Clever," Purge nodded simply, "And diabolical. However...there is one suggestion I would like to make."

"Which is, Sensei?" Ukyo asked.

"Leave the spatula behind this time," Purge insisted, "It will serve to put the Jedi off of their defenses."

"Hmmm," Ukyo glanced back at the handle of her favorite weapon but then shrugged her shoulders and said, "Might as well...I'll definitely look more feminine if I go in without obvious weapons...other than the ones I was born with."

No one could make an effective argument to that, not even Taro, who was usually the first to make disparaging comments about Ukyo's gender. Ryoga did, however, volunteer the observation, "But what if those Jedi object to your presence in their house?"

"Now Sugar," Ukyo smiled benevolently, "You don't think I'm going totally unarmed, do you? Besides, I'm going in to stir the pot and cause trouble. If I have to get physical about it...well...that just ups the ante a little."

"Well...maybe," Mousse adjusted his glasses, "But where exactly are you going to conceal any weapons in that get up?"

"I don't think I want to know," murmured Ryoga.

"Laugh it up, you two," Ukyo growled, extending a one-fingered gesture, "It ain't a matter of where I hide it, it's when I get to use it that'll make all of the difference."

"Yeah, but if push comes to shove can you actually off the guy you're after?" Taro asked, "Let alone his little Jedi cutie?"

All at once he found the blistering hot tip of a ruby beam hovering just a few centimeters from his nose without the least sense of warning that this was about to happen.

"Just watch me," Ukyo softly snarled, momentarily resembling her cursed form, "I didn't waste the last ten years of my life so I could try and sell him okonomiyaki. There's more than one way to skin a rat, and I want Ranchan to suffer long and hard before I put him out of his misery. Of course if his Mom decides to do the job for me...well, it's not like I'm one to object to the favor."

With that she made her energy weapon disappear, leaving Taro to glare impotently her way and silently vow that he would one day get evil with "The upstart super-  
bitch!"

There were times, such as these, when Purge could almost feel proud of his apprentice, and other times when even he had cause to worry. Humans and their social conventions were difficult enough to understand under most occasions, but throw in the wrath of a female scorned and you bring down a dynasty or two without hardly any effort. Almost he cold feel pity for this boy named Ranma, who somehow had managed to be the cause of so much mischief with at least three of his underlings, and himself barely even a hatchling.

But while he thought this there was a peculiar disturbance in the Force that caused the Sith Lord to frown and glance to one side. Mousse-usually the least observant of his henchmen-was quick to notice this and ask, "Is something wrong, Master?"

"I...do not know," Purge scowled, scanning the distant treeline bordering where they were encamped for further signs of what had caused his disturbance, but all he sensed were small game animals, nothing large or significant enough to warrant a hunter's instincts, let alone a Sith Lord.

Unbeknownst to him a figure was withdrawing in silence from the forest, moving like a flitting shadow with uncanny ease born of a lifetime of training. This party had seen what needed to be seen and was now seeking to avoid premature detection, having decided that the odds did not favor a direct assault at this time and location. Curiosity had been satisfied, though, and the activities of a certain party had been confirmed, which itself was deeply troubling even if one did not take into account the ominous air of menace that hung about his present companions.

(Great-grandmother must be informed of this), the figure silently noted, (It is far worse than we imagined. I only pray to the ancestors that my sister is well...or there must surely be an accounting.)

Not for the first time the figure thought of a certain girl who had recently come to her village, a girl with red hair bearing a very tragic story, and one who left a definite impression in her wake, one that had ripples in the currents of time and destiny and strangely overlapped the path of another who was important in the greater scheme of events, which was why Xian Pu of the Joketsuzoku Nyanchiczu was determined to play her part in unraveling the mystery that bound their lives and destinies together, whether for good or ill, though, could not presently be determined...

"Well hello," Kimiko greeted her houseguest warmly, "It's been so long...but you've hardly changed from what I remember, Nodoka-san."

"You are too kind, Kimiko-san," the lady dressed in the formal kimono replied as they exchanged bows with one another, "Your beauty is even more to be envied than when we last were together. Is your husband at home? Has my husband been around? Have you seen my son? Oh, please...tell me that your phone call was not a figment of my imagination."

"It is very real, Nodoka-chan," Kimiko deliberately used the more intimate form of address, even though they were no longer schoolchildren playing games and pretending to be sisters,, "Your husband and son are guests staying in our house while our husbands formalize the agreement to unite our families through our children. Won't you come inside and meet everyone? I'm sure you must have a lot of questions that need asking."

"Oh, you have no idea," Nodoka said gratefully as she followed her friend into the house, "My...what a lovely place this is. Married life must suit you very well."

"I do my best to manage," Kimiko replied as she led the way into the dining area, where a man was seated at the table like a condemned prisoner whose last meal had settled badly in his digestion. On purpose Kimiko avoided mentioning him first as she said, "You remember my husband, Soun, and this is our very good friend, Trieste, who is a personal trainer to my oldest daughter, Kasumi. And of course you know who this is."

"Genma-chan..." Nodoka breathed, "Husband!"

"Ah...wife," Genma swallowed, them managed a weak smile, "How are you...?"

He got no further than that before he found the other woman in his arms hugging him tearfully and sobbing out his name, "Genma-dearest! How I've missed you so much! How have you been taking care of yourself? You've gotten so thin! What have you been eating?"

"Ah...?" Genma hesitated a moment, then put his arms around his wife, finding the warmth of her body a familiar, comfortable presence despite the slight hesitation he felt, knowing full well what her arrival might portend, "Well...it's been hard, but the boy and I have managed..."

"Boy?" Nodoka pushed gently away from him and looked wildly around, "Where is he? Where is my son? Where is Ranma? Oh please, let me see him! I need to see him at once!"

"Er...well..." Genma stammered with some reluctance.

"Your son is away at school, along with Soun-san's other two daughters," Trieste replied to the question, "My Apprentice has gone to fetch him, they should be returning home at any moment."

Nodoka looked up to take formal notice of the other woman for the first time since her arrival, and in that moment that their eyes made contact the Jedi Knight sensed something like a tremendous thrill pass over her as she read the other woman's aura and made a startling realization, (The Force is strong in this one! Beyond question she is Ranma's mother!)

"I'm sorry," Nodoka smiled politely, "I didn't quite catch your name. I'm afraid I wasn't paying very good attention..."

"I am Trieste," the former member of the Jedi Council replied, "I am a guest living here with the Tendo family. And you are...Saotome Nodoka?"

"Yes," Nodoka's smile became more relaxed as she sat upright and adjusted a curious cloth-wrapped object that she carried across her shoulders, "Kimiko-chan mentioned that she had a guest staying with her who is training her daughters. I can see that you are a very accomplished Sensei and I can't wait to meet your students, one of whom is to be my son's wife. Oh my! I'm so excited!"

"And well you should be," Kimiko assured her, "Your son has charmed his way into the heart of my two oldest daughters, either one of whom will make him an excellent bride. The boy is quite the Manly sort, a fine credit to the Saotome Ryu."

"I am so pleased to hear you say so," Nodoka dabbed tears from her eyes with the edge of her sleeve, "I have been so worried over the years...but I suppose I was just being silly and worrying over nothing."

"Ah...that's right," Genma said with a weak, nervous smile, "You had nothing to worry about, Nodoka-chan...I taught Ranma everything he needs to know to be a manly sort of man..."

Trieste did not voice a remark to that, but her frown was enough to cause the burly man to subside in mid-sentence, nor could he miss the way the Tendos were looking towards him with equally dubious expressions.

"That's so good to know, Genma-chan," Nodoka rested her head against his shoulder, "That means you've upheld your end of the contract, and if Ranma is as popular with the girls as you say then he must be very manly, like his father."

It was fortunate that only adults were present because anyone less reserved or dignified might have facefaulted on that singular comment.

"Ah...of course," Genma patted Nodoka on the shoulder and felt an odd sensation come over him at the long-lost familiarity of such intimate contact, "Ranma's quite the ladies man, but I know he'll make a good husband for Tendo-san's daughters...whichever one the boy chooses."

"I'm so glad," Nodoka sighed contentedly, "You don't know what a burden it is that I've carried all of these years, fearing that I might have to...enforce the terms of our agreement. In truth I had heard some silly rumors that had caused me to worry, but I'm so glad to see they amounted to nothing."

Genma sat very still, and stared straight ahead as though a memory was haunting him. He audibly swallowed before he managed to gasp, "Rumors? What rumors would that be?"

"Rumors of...unmanly behavior," Nodoka hesitated slightly, "But as you say, they were only silly Rumors."

"Ah ...yes...silly..." Genma's eyes roved towards the garden and for a moment he seemed to be eyeing the koi pond with unusual fondness, but he had already been warned not to try and duck or avoid responsibility this time in such a manner, particularly as Trieste had been most insistent that he (as she put up it), "Face the music" that his own carelessness had thoughtlessly provided.

"Mrs. Saotome," Soun spoke with formal gravity, "We have been made...aware that you and your husband had a certain...arrangement set down ten years ago when they began their training mission. Is it true that you had them even sign a document to that end before allowing them to leave?"

"Yes," Nodoka replied, "Yes I did...in fact, I've even kept a copy that bears his signature and my son's palm print. I thought it was necessary at the time, an honor contract such as the kind that Saotome men have sworn to over the generations."

"But Ranma was only six when he made that palm print," Trieste argued, "You could hardly have expected him to be aware of to what sort of document he had been signing."

"If my son has any honor in him, then he would know that a commitment made by his father is binding," Nodoka said with an odd serenity to her expression, "I would not expect you to understand if you are an outsider and still new to our ways, but the traditions of the Saotome school place a great demand upon our sons and daughters. I accepted this burden when I married into the Saotome line, and I know my husband takes our traditions very seriously and would never agree to something he was not fully committed to seeing through to the end."

"But...but..." even Kimiko found herself taken aback by that calmly delivered statement, "But an agreement to commit Seppuku, Nodoka-san? Isn't that a little extreme?"

"For the sake of preserving our honor, no," Nodoka glanced down and said sadly, "For the sake of our family's honor I would do what was necessary, even if it would mean breaking my own heart. Such is the burden of obligation to the memory of our ancestors, and I know that any worthy son of our house would prefer death to dishonor. If my son is not manly...then he is not a man...and so he would be nothing."

Trieste was silently appalled by this calm delivery, yet she sensed no evil in the heart of this other woman, neither did she seem mentally unstable nor sociopathic, only composed and purposeful it touched by a great sadness. She fully meant to carry through on her word of fulfilling the obligations of tradition. It was far from the most barbaric native custom that Trieste had ever heard defended, but still the very civility in which it was being contemplated utterly appalled her. It prompted her to ask the question that came foremost in her mind, suggested by the way in which Nodoka placed a certain emphasis on the words of her declaration.

"Tell me something, Saotome-san," Trieste began, "What is your definition of manly?"

"Manly?" Nodoka's smile was grand and strangely suggestive, "I was taught to believe that a Man is one who knows his way around women...who has strong impulses and acts upon them, who knows what it means to be a man and never wavers or doubts his purpose. A man is one whom ladies find very attractive, and who knows how to please a lady and can render unto his family many strong and healthy children."

"Say what?" Kimiko asked, "Are you saying you think a Man is nothing more than a sex machine?"

"Not merely a machine," Nodoka replied, her smile becoming even more of a mix between innocence and insinuation, "He has the qualities that woman seek in their partners, qualities that women would literally fight over, just as our rivals used to fight against us for the love of our husbands. A man who is a Man among Men would be proud to have as many girlfriends as would accept him, as in the old days a Samurai could have a wife and many concubines, the more the better to provide him children."

"I...see..." Trieste had long been aware that Japan still had many...quaint and even backwards notions about the female of the human species, but this was a novelty even to her! Of course it also beggared the next question that she asked, "And what would you view as...Un-manly behavior?"

"A failure to uphold commitments," Nodoka replied, "A lack of interest in women, behavior that is childish and willful without regard to the feelings of others...or...effeminate and not at all like that of a man..."

"And if your son had any of those qualities?" Trieste persisted.

Nodoka sighed and then reached back to the cloth-wrapped object slung across her shoulders, laying it upon her lap as she carefully undid the bindings, revealing it to be a very ancient-looking (and entirely TOO authentic) katana in an ornate sheath. Nodoka slipped off the ties that held the guard like a safety then pulled the blade partially from its sheath to display it before them, and they all could see the wavy pattern that was reflected by the light, giving it almost a glassy, crystalline appearance.

"This sword," Nodoka said, "Has been in the family line for ten generations. It is over three hundred years old and has served the women of our clan in times of peace and bloodshed. It was given to me by my mother-in-law shortly after our marriage, and Genma has left it in my possession ever since. I regard it as a sacred trust, and if needful I will use it in the way that best brings honor to the memory of our ancestors."

No one said anything to that for several very long minutes, but then a voice from the front of the house called out, "Tadaima-we're home!"

"Nabiki-chan?" Kimiko turned around then saw her oldest and said, "Kasumi-  
chan...what...?"

She had been starting to ask why Ranma was in her female form when Nabiki hastily spoke up, "Mom, Cousin Ranko asked if she could come pay us a visit. We were told that we would be meeting our Aunt Nodoka for the first time ever. We're very eager to meet our future Mother-in-law, isn't that right, Ranko?"

"Ranko?" Soun blinked his eyes.

"I see," Trieste narrowed her own eyes and first stared at the redheaded girl, then at Nabiki, her expression an open challenge.

(Nabiki-chan), she Telepathically projected, (What have I been telling you about lying?)

(I'm sorry, Sensei), Nabiki projected back, (But I thought it'd be best to sound Ranma's mother out about the curse before we go trying to explain to her about Jusenkyo.)

(I see), Trieste reluctantly conceded, (We'll talk later about this, but for now do what you can to cover for your boyfriend. We've been talking to his mother and so far our worst fears have been confirmed.) With special emphasis her eyes glanced to the sword that still lay in Nodoka's lap, and with empathic means projected the urgency of her statement.

Ranma-chan, for her part, was staring at the strange woman in the formal kimono as if trying to reconcile her with his memories of over a decade. In a hesitant voice he asked, "Are you...my...?"

"Yes, Ranko," Kasumi smoothly replied, having already picked up all that she needed to by scanning the minds of her family and houseguests, "This is Ranma's mother, our Aunt Nodoka. How do you do, Saotome-san...I am Tendo Kasumi,"

"Kasumi?" Nodoka brightened immediately as she studied the other girl, "Are you my son's iinazuke?"

"Hah?" Nabiki winced as Kasumi colored and said, "Oh my...whatever made you think that? I mean...I like your son a great deal...he's a very...charming young man...but I...we haven't made any sort of formal pledge or anything..."

"Sis?" Nabiki was staring at her older sister with amazement, astonished at feeling the intense wave of unguarded emotions that Kasumi was radiating as she spoke, which triggered in her heart a peculiar stabbing sensation of betrayal.

"M-Mom?" Ranma-chan murmured, clearly not having yet grasped the need for subtlety on her part. She was about to take a step forward, meaning to throw herself into the arms of a woman whom she had been made to believe was dead when a sudden burst of thought froze her in mid-motion.

(Go no farther! You must restrain yourself for now, young Warrior. Your feelings do you credit but at the moment they could lead to disaster.)

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, having recognized the words as Trieste somehow speaking in his head like some kind of mental radio system.

"Oh my," Nodoka looked at Ranko this time and said, "Are you also one of Soun's daughters? Are you engaged to my son, Ranma?"

"Engaged?" Ranma-chan found her thoughts sent awry at the implausible suggestion that she would be engaged to marry her other self, but he was spared having to answer as Nabiki beat her to it.

"NO!" Nabiki said with unusual forcefulness, "Ranko is not engaged to Ranma. I am Tendo Nabiki, also a possible fianc e to your son, whom I respect very much and consider a close friend, even if we did just meet a couple of days ago. If you have any questions to ask of me, Auntie, then I will be happy to ask them."

"My, you are certainly a very forthright young lady," Nodoka sounded impressed, "And you sound as if you know my son very well. Have you two...done anything yet together?"

"Have we...?" Nabiki was totally taken aback by the question and stared with fish-eyed wonder before coloring around the cheeks and saying, "Ah...no...I mean...not yet-URK! I mean...we haven't even dated...but he did ask me out to dinner..."

"You did, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked of the nominal "Ranko?"

"Ah...it wasn't a date, really!" Ranma-chan stammered, forgetting once again to pretend to be someone other than herself, "We were just...gonna go out and eat. She promised to buy me dinner if I beat her..."

"Oh, then you compete together in the martial arts," Nodoka said with a delighted expression, eyeing Kimiko sidelong, "Kimiko-chan and I used to spar like that a lot before she went into the military, and even then we'd have friendly matches in Kendo to sharpen our combat reflexes. Sometimes she even let me win so that she could buy me a meal, which was very kind on her part."

"What do you mean I let you win?" Kimiko replied, bristling slightly at the suggestion, though she, too, was smiling in fond reflection.

"You must tell me all you know about my son...all three of you," Nodoka urged, "Is he tall? Is he good looking? Is he very manly? Come now, you don't have to by shy around me...we're all adults and I wouldn't mind at all if you were all three sleeping with my Ranma."

"HAH?" came Ranma and Nabiki's uniform reply while Kasumi just went, "Oh my!" as she perceived that the Saotome elder was entirely on the level.

"You don't mind if they have sex outside of marriage?" Trieste found herself the most surprised by that declaration from this extremely traditional-minded lady.

"Well, if they are going to be his wives anyway, then why wait around to give me grandchildren?" Nodoka reasoned, "Tell me...which one does Ranma favor the best? They're all such beautiful girls, I can't really decide which one I'd most love having for my daughter."

The three "girls" being so addressed were still chewing that one over when yet another voice said, "Hold on there, Sugar! If you're discussing who's properly engaged to Saotome Ranma, then don't forget about me! I'm dealing myself into this picture!"

"Eh?" Soun replied as a figure dropped down from the roof into the patio, then calmly straightened up and smiled their way...a tall brown-haired girl wearing a lovely dress that flattered her figure rather nicely, for all its dark coloration.

"YOU?" Nabiki hissed as she went on the defensive.

"What is it that you want?" Kasumi asked with a note of caution.

"Uh...U-Ucchan?" Ranma had to blink her eyes to make certain of the identity of the new arrival, for this time Ukyo looked as feminine as Kasumi rather than go about in her usual Bishonen outfit, and there was no sign of her bakers peel anywhere on her person!

"Oh my," Nodoka said as she turned around and took stock of this new arrival, "And you are...?"

"The name is Kuonji Ukyo," the new arrival bowed, "And I overheard mention that you were inquiring as to which of these girls over there would be engaged to Saotome Ranma. I felt it was my duty to inform you that none of them are legitimate...because I am the legitimate iinazuke. Ranma's father and my Dad made an agreement over ten years ago when they accepted my family's dowry, so if you're looking for a future Daughter-in-law, then here I am...Mother."

"Say WHAT?" Soun's mustache seemed to curl as he rounded on Genma and cried, "Saotome...what is the meaning of this-this outrage?"

"I-I-I..." Genma stammered, looking very much like a man caught between the hammer and the anvil.

"Yes, I'm curious to hear all about this one myself," Trieste mused, "A second engagement, and I presume one your son doesn't know anything about?"

"Oh my," Kimiko frowned, "This does sound complicated."

"You are engaged to my son?" Nodoka sounded very much surprised.

"Sure am, Sugar," Ukyo flashed a smile that had all the warmth of a cobra.

"Dearest," Nodoka turned back to Genma, "Is this true?"

"I-well-I-sort of..." Genma swallowed.

"SORT OF?" Soun was outraged, "Saotome-how dare you do a thing such as this behind the backs of my daughters!"

"Another engagement," Trieste murmured softly, "I can't wait to hear the details behind this one."

"Me neither," Kimiko agreed, eyeing Nodoka's sword as she idly thought about going to the dojo to retrieve her naginata.

"Oh my," Nodoka mused after studying Ukyo's features, "You certainly do look to be a very impressive young lady. Are you serious in saying that you wish to marry my son?"

"Let's just say I plan to hold him to his agreements, Mother," Ukyo added the last word with a polite bow at the other woman.

"How wonderful!" Nodoka clapped her hands together, "My son must be very manly indeed if he has you for a suitor!"

This time there was a collective facefault, no less so for Ukyo, who pushed herself back to her feet with a look of incredulity, "Hah? What do you mean...?"

"Nabiki-san...Kasumi-chan?" Nodoka turned back to the Tendo girls, "How do you both feel about my son, Ranma?"

"Hah?" Nabiki blinked, "Well...that is..."

"Oh my," Kasumi colored again, "He certainly is...very interesting..."

"Then you also intend to marry him?" Nodoka persisted, "One of you three girls? And what about you, Ranko-chan?"

"Who...me?" Ranma-chan blinked, "Count me out of this one!"

"Ah...what a pity," Nodoka sighed, "Still...three out of four girls is certainly a very good accounting. Only someone who was strongly attractive to women would have you three competing with one another for the honor of marrying him. That speaks most highly for my son, and it certainly does make me believe that he is Manly."

"B-But wait a minute!" Ukyo protested, "Wasn't there some kind of deal you made, a Suicide pact?"

"Huh?" Nabiki frowned, "Now how did you learn about that?"

"Ah..." Ukyo winced slightly, then in a flustered tone of voice said, "Never mind! Is there such a pact or not?"

"There is," Nodoka replied, "But you hardly need to let it worry you. If my son is as Manly as you say, then I will be happy to rescind the contract."

"You what?" Genma blinked, coming out of the daze that he had fallen into.

"You WHAT?" Ukyo blurted out.

"This becomes more apparent at last," Trieste mused.

"You've got that right, Sensei," Nabiki frowned, "I smell a rat! I-Hey! Kasumi?"

Her older sister was suddenly across room and had her light-saber in hand, thrusting at the point where Ukyo had been standing, only to find the girl had vaulted backwards off the patio and had somersaulted to land on the rock beside the koi pond.

"You have no right to be here!" Kasumi declared with unusual precision as she held her blade at the ready, "Leave now...while you are able."

"Not bad, Sugar," Ukyo smiled, "I barely felt that one coming. Didn't think a 'Nice' girl like you could be so sneaky, but you'll have to do better than that if you're gonna catch me napping.

"I will not warn you again," Kasumi leveled her light saber, "You are not welcome in this house, not if you come here with less than honorable intentions."

"Well, well," Ukyo lowered her expression and allowed the darkness to play across her lovely features, "Seems to me like you're sticking up for the Jerk. Don't tell me he's charmed his way into your heart already? You lily-pure types make me sick. Well, don't get all worked up in a lather on my account, I was just leaving...but you'll be hearing from me again before you know it."

And from a standing start the Sith girl vaulted into the air, making an incredible leap that carried her all the way onto the roof of the house, from which she vaulted again, clearing the wall with another hurdle.

Kasumi deactivated her saber and replaced it inside her blouse, but it was plain from her expression that she was greatly distressed about the whole sorry encounter.

"Ah...excuse me," Nabiki spoke up, "It was nice meeting you and all that, Auntie, but I've got something to do. I'll be right back."

With that she went to the front of the house, seemingly in no great haste but in fact moving as rapidly as she dared. Ranma-chan saw this and said, "Hey, wait up!" and followed after.

One clear of the house Nabiki started running, but as fast as she could move when she was in the mood she found that "Ranko" easily paced her, hardly taxing herself as she asked, "What gives? Are you chasing after Ucchan?"

"Stay out of my way, Ranma-kun," Nabiki urged, "This is between me and her. She just threatened my family and tried to get you dissected by your own mother!"

"Dissected?" Ranma-chan repeated.

"You didn't catch what was in her mind, but I did," Nabiki winced, "She was going to spill the whole beans and gloat when she got your mother to turn on you. She wanted her to force you to comply with that Seppuku contract, and if you didn't go through with it she was going to use the fact to denounce you as a honorless cad. No way am I letting it go! She's pushed it to the edge this time!"

"But do you honestly think we're going to catch her?" Ranma-chan asked, "Get real! With the lead she has, she's probably all the way to the edge of town by-  
-"

"LOOK OUT!" Nabiki cried in warning, just instants before a series of rifle-shot like projectiles struck the ground where they had been standing. Both Force Mistress and sex-swapping Martial Artists fell into ready crouches as Ukyo appeared poised on a nearby rooftop with a hand full of mini-throwing spatulas, gloating in their direction.

"Didn't think you had the guts to take me up on my challenge, Sugar!" Ukyo called down, "You dodge pretty good, but the next time I'm gonna nail you!"

"Ucchan!" Ranma called out, "Why are you doing this? It ain't my fault I got a couple of lunatics for parents!"

"Then whose fault is it?" Ukyo sneered, "I thought for sure your Mom was going to do my dirty work for me, but this works out even better from where I'm standing. I'm gonna take your little girlfriend apart piece-by-piece and wear her ears on my key-chain! And you know what, Jackass? YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"

Ukyo's hand became a blur and Ranma-chan saw at once that they were not being aimed in her direction. She readied to counter the hurled objects, but to her dismay she saw them suddenly veer off and change direction, arcing around her like living buzz-saws and altering their curve several times before converging upon Nabiki.

Nabiki erected her mental shields and managed to deflect three of the projectiles, but a forth one managed to penetrate her guard and bury itself in her shoulder, causing her to lose her concentration as she went down heavily, gasping more from shock than the pain, which took several more seconds to register before a sensation like hot metal caused her to cry out like a wounded beast.

"NABIKI!" Ranma-chan gasped, making the mistake of taking his eyes off of his opponent, only to find Ukyo had moved like a blur to stand in front of her, and even as the sex-changed martial artist tried to defend herself she felt a wave of Dark energy building up to strike her and knock her sprawling.

"You're pathetic," Ukyo sneered as Ranma-chan stopped rolling on the asphalt roughly twenty meters away, "You think you're some big-shot martial artist, but you can't even put up a decent fight around me! I've had the best training of all and I know how to use my power to its maximum, but you'll never even get the chance to know the full fury of the Dark Side."

"Big...talk..." Ranma-chan gasped, forcing herself to a kneeling position, "You just surprised me...that's all..."

"Think so?" Ukyo smiled, reaching into her dress and pulling out an object that looked ominously like a flashlight, "Then see what I do to your girlfriend and you'll know it's not just big talk, Ranchan,"

Ranma's eyes got wide as he saw the beam of light flare up in her hands, a bright red coloration that contrasted with the blue and green light sabers he had so far witnessed, distorting Ukyo's lovely features in the awful cast of its malevolent glow. As Ukyo raised it high he saw her turn a sneer at the helpless Nabiki, who was staring up at her with doe-eyed fascination, as though her own impending doom held her paralyzed even more than the pain that she was presently feeling.

"NOOOO!" Ranma-chan cried, lurching forward with the grim sense that she could never hope to clear the distance in time to save Nabiki.

"Say goodbye...Sugar," Ukyo sneered, pausing as she made eye-contact with the other girl, and for a moment there was just the slightest hesitation, but then her arm began descending...

And a wall abruptly exploded outward from a nearby garden, shattering the moment and causing Ukyo to stagger forward, missing her target by a half a meter distance.

Dust and debris began to settle as Ranma shielded himself against the explosion while Nabiki turned her own head to see what had caused the massive distraction...only to find the tip of the light saber buried in the asphalt within easy reach of her own face. Ukyo snatched it up and whirled around to the new source of threat that her instincts were perceiving...

And from the midst of the hole that had once been a wall stepped a young girl whose long purple locks distinguished her from the average tourist.

"Nihao," she said pleasantly, "Long time no see...Ranma."

"Sh-Sh-Shampoo?" Ranma gasped, realizing that her already "perfect" day had just gotten very, very complicated...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Active Ingredients in Okonomiyaki: shadowmane

The plot really gets complicated now that a certain lady from China has finally made the scene, but is she friend or foe to the heroes and Jedi, or is this just a case of one too many enemies competing for the "honor" of finishing off Ranma and his allies? Fine out the truth next time in, "Catfight at the Okonomiyaki Coral," or "A Fool and his Iinazuke May Soon be Departed!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	8. Chapter 8

JediKasumi08

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim R. Bader &amp;  
Brandon Kelly

(Inspired by Takahashi and Lucas)

Chapter Eight.

The Amazon Strikes Back

The Story So Far:

It is a time of great turmoil in Nerima.  
Apprenticed Jedi Knight Kasumi Tendo has returned from her travels abroad with her mentor, the Jedi Knight Trieste, to learn of her potential engagement to a boy by the name of Saotome Ranma. Unfortunately her younger sister, Nabiki, an apprenticed Force Master, has also displayed an interest in this new Iinazuke, and has approached Ranma with the offer of friendship...

Unfortunately for our hero and heroines, a girl by the name of Kuonji Ukyo shows up also professing to be Ranma's iinazuke, and to further complicate matters is revealed to be none other than the Padawan of the evil Sith Lord, Darth Purge, who heads a gang of similarly minded dark Apprentices intending the ruin and destruction of all things Jedi...

Ranma's long estranged mother returns into his life and reveals the existence of a suicide pact signed by Genma and bearing the handprint of Ranma, pledging that Ranma will be a "Man among Men" or else commit ritual Seppuku, a pledge complicated by the curse that Ranma currently endures of turning into a girl when splashed by cold water...

Seeking to exploit this situation, Ukyo presents herself before Nodoka and reveals her own engagement,  
only to learn that the existence of multiple fianc es is, in fact ,considered as evidence of Ranma's "manliness."  
outraged by Ukyo's perfidy, Kasumi chases her off and Nabiki pursues the apprenticed Sith Lord with Ranma-chan by her side, only to fall prey to an ambush that seems likely to result in the death of the Middle Tendo daughter...however,  
at the very last moment a new player arrives on the scene,  
the Amazon known as Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku...

Ranma-chan was indeed much distressed as she saw the purple haired girl step through the debris of the ruined wall. She swallowed thickly and asked, "Shampoo? How-when did you get to Japan?"

"Is long story," the purple haired Amazon replied before turning her gaze towards Ukyo, "Tell you after this one has dealt with enemies."

"You and what army?" Ukyo sneered, flashing her Light Saber and snarling, "Don't know who you are, but you get in my way and you're history!"

"History favorite subject of Amazons," the purple haired girl replied, "This one does not think you are qualified to teach her."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo snarled, "Well, we'll see about that!"

The Apprenticed Sith Lord charged forward with her Lightsaber at the ready, but to her complete surprise her opponent knelt down before her with one finger outstretched to touch the concrete, and before the dark-clad Chef could inquire what the purple haired girl was doing the ground literally erupted at her feet, forcing her to vault backward out of the way of the shrapnel that was hurled in her direction.

"HIYYAAA!" the Amazon cried as she charged into the midst of the very cloud of debris that she herself had created, and for a moment she became little more than a blurry shadow at its center, but then Ukyo came tumbling out again, righting herself in mid-air and falling back into a defensive crouch, even as a whirlwind seemed to erupt from the cloud of dust and debris, forcing Ukyo to deflect a pelting rain of rapidly hurled gravel that flared against her Lightsaber and forced her further on the defensive.

"W-Who is that?" Nabiki gasped from where she lay on the ground holding a hand to her bleeding shoulder.

"Ah...her name's Shampoo," Ranma swallowed, "Met her a while ago in China...she's an Amazon...not to mention a pretty good fighter."

"No fooling," Nabiki frowned, "Just how well do you know her?"

"Ah...well..." the redhead winced as she considered just how to answer that question.

Ukyo stopped retreating and stood her ground as the last of the gravel was exhausted. She glared at her antagonist and said, "Just who in the hell are you, and what do you think you're going interfering in my business?"

"Your business?" Shampoo replied with a very odd expression, "This one does not think so. Shampoo has come a long way to find Ranma, and it is not for the likes of one such as you to stand between her and this purpose."

"Shampoo, huh?" Ukyo glared, "You get that name because you dye your hair that awful color?"

"This one does not know what you mean," Shampoo replied calmly, "This one's hair is its natural color. This one also fails to see why it should matter to you so. The color of one's hair has no direct bearing on the ability to fight."

"Yeah?" Ukyo composed herself, "Well you're still in my way, Fortune Cookie, so get ready to be sliced into chow mien!"

"This one does not believe so," the Amazon calmly said as she reached into thin air and suddenly produced an object that got a gasp from all quarters. Activating it so that it hummed to a brilliant light a purplish blue-white fire stretched out to form a blade-like gleam of about one meters length. Holding it up in both hands the Amazon said, "Now we fight as equals, but you still will be defeated."

"How in the...?" Ukyo gasped, staring wide-eyed at yet another Lightsaber.

"Hey!" Nabiki exclaimed from where Ranma stood protectively over her, "How did she get ahold of that?"

"I dunno," Ranma replied, "You guys subscribe to the same mail order business or something?"

"Just having that don't mean you know how to use it!" Ukyo snarled as she leaped forward with her ruby-red saber flashing out towards the Amazon, only to find her strike skillfully parried by the purplish beam of the other Lightsaber.

"This one knows how to use her weapons," the Amazon calmly replied, "It is you who are the blunted weapon here."

"What the hell does that mean?" Ukyo demanded as she struggled to penetrate the guard of the other girl, only to find Shampoo blocking her on the next two thrusts with surprising ease as if anticipating each cut before it could be executed.

"This one senses great distress within you," the purple haired warrior remarked when their blades were locked and they were fighting for an advantage, "You have great skill and you are very strong, but your strength is not pure. You are very confused and your aura is clouded. This one believes that this is because you have a divided heart and do not know of your own purpose."

"LIKE HELL!" Ukyo cried in outrage, "Who the hell are you to talk that way to me? Who do you think you're dealing with here?"

Crimson eyes met sandalwood brown as the Amazon met her stare and said, "A fool, not a true enemy. You are enemy to yourself, and as such you have no business pursing Ranma."

"NABIKI!" a voice called out in great distress, drawing attention back down the empty roadway where they saw Kasumi approaching at a run, her mentor, Trieste, not far behind her.

"KUSO!" Ukyo snarled, "We'll meet again, Purple-locks, and next time I'll be ready!"

"This one is always ready," the Amazon said as their blades were disengaged, "To meet a challenge from a friend or an enemy. Next time I'll be ready!"

"This one is always ready," the Amazon said as their blades were disengaged, "To meet a challenge from a friend or an enemy. Your choice which one...this one will be waiting."

With a murderous glare that promised many unpleasant things in the offing, Ukyo deactivated her lightsaber and turned to flee, vaulting to the nearest rooftop and springing from there at a dead run that would carry her many kilometers in a matter of seconds. Shampoo put her own weapon away, then casually turned around and beamed a bright smile towards Kasumi.

"Nihao, Big Sister!" she waved in cheerful greeting.

"Shampoo?" Kasumi slowed to a halt as she got a better look at the other girl, "Oh my...it is you! Shampoo...it's been years...but what are you doing in Japan?"

"This one wanted to come see you," Shampoo said brightly, nodding to the side as she added, "And also to see her other Oath Sister, Ranma."

"Shampoo," Trieste said in greeting, "A pleasant reunion this. Are you here alone or with your Elder?"

"This one is by herself presently," the purple haired girl replied, "But great grandmother will be coming here in a few days. We have much to talk about, honored Teacher."

"Ah..." Ranma looked from Kasumi to Shampoo and back again, "You two...know each other?"

"Oh my, yes," Kasumi smiled, "We met a few years ago when my Mistress and I were touring through the interior of China..."

"Never did get as far as Jusenkyo," Trieste added, "Unlike some people I could mention, we did pay heed to the local warnings against it."

"This one and Big Sister Kasumi share Oath-kinship," Shampoo said brightly, "Much like this one shares with you, Ranma..."

"Ah...excuse me?" Nabiki asked, "I don't mean to butt in on this happy little reunion you two are having, but...could somebody help me out here? I seem to be bleeding a little..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Nabiki," Kasumi apologized, "I didn't mean to be distracted..."

Before she could move to her sister's side, however, Shampoo knelt down beside Nabiki, urging Ranma to move aside and allow her better access to the spatula that was still protruding from the middle Tendo sister's shoulder

"This one will examine you," Shampoo said gently, "This one's mother is a powerful Healer, this one learns much from studying at her side...if this is permissible, Big Sister?"

"Oh, but of course," Kasumi urged, "Nabiki is my younger sister...Nabiki, this is Xian Pu of the Joketsuzoku Amazons from China."

"Ah...yeah, right," Nabiki winced a bit as the purple haired girl pressed two fingers to the side of her shoulder.

"The wound appears deep but does not seem to have touched bone," Shampoo revealed after a few moments of light examination, "By itself it is not as serious as it appears, but this weapon has been negatively charged with Chi and is spiritually poisoned..."

"Poisoned?" Nabiki's voice arched by more than a fraction.

"Can you do anything to help her out?" Ranma-chan urged, clearly distressed at the plight of his nominal iinazuke.

"This one will do all that is in her power," Shampoo replied, "But she will require the assistance of her Big Sister."

"Of course I will help out," Kasumi assured, "I have some training as a healer myself, as you well know."

"This one remembers," Shampoo smiled pleasantly, and Nabiki found herself oddly warming up to this other girl whose exotic beauty was astonishing to witness at close range, "This will have to come out, but this one requires a clean place in which to perform the healing. Is there anywhere nearby that will suffice?"

"Why yes," Kasumi answered, "Doctor Tofu's clinic is only a few blocks away from here."

"Good," Shampoo did something with the application of two fingers to the side of Nabiki's neck and the pain from her shoulder immediately subsided, "This will help your relax, Sister to my Sister. I will carry her, but we must see that she is not too badly jostled."

"I can do that," Ranma offered.

"You might," Shampoo smiled, "But she weighs more than you do at the moment and such a feat would not be recommended for purposes of balance."

"Hey, I can-HEY!" Ranma-chan sputtered as hot water was poured over her head, restoring the martial artist to male status.

"I believe this will simplify the matter greatly," Trieste remarked as she removed the tea kettle from over Ranma's head, "Now it will not be so awkward for you to hold Nabiki in your arms, young Master, and I'm sure that my student will not mind the attention you give her by such a gallant gesture."

Shampoo grinned as she saw Ranma's discomfiture and said, "Oho...what is this? Has this one's little Brother found a warrior to his liking? Perhaps I should tell my cousin...she will be so disappointed."

"Ah..." Ranma was only momentarily flustered as he reached down and gathered Nabiki into his arms, "Never mind that, okay? Look...the important thing is we get this thing out of her shoulder so she can get fixed up, right?"

"Thank the Kami somebody brought that up," Nabiki mumbled under her breath, feeling slightly sleeping for some very odd reason, and finding it no great struggle in resting her head against Ranma's shoulder.

A few minutes later they were in the clinic of Doctor Tofu with the doctor in question looking on in amazement as the Purple haired girl finished applying the stitches to the wound of the middle Tendo sister. Of necessity Kasumi was no where in sight, Trieste intervening on her student's behalf so as to keep the Doctor mentally stable while Ranma looked on with intense worry plain upon his features. Though he had said nothing aloud on the subject, the Saotome heir was feeling guilty over what had happened to Nabiki and wanted to make personally certain that she would be all right. It was the very least that he owed the girl who had stood up for him against a vengeful Kuonji, and the shame he felt over not being able to protect her was so acute that he felt the urge to do something for her, even if it was only to stand by and offer his support.

In his mind's eye he was going over the fight, reliving each and every moment with close scrutiny to his own part in the matter, which was next to virtually useless as he realized with a brutal self-honesty, coming to grips with the fact that his martial arts would not have prevailed against the tactics used by Kuonji.

That Ukyo had been so enraged with him that she would seek Nabiki's life on two separate occasions was itself a terrifying concept...that he would be powerless to prevent a third such attack was chilling to contemplate. Somehow he had to even the odds back in his favor, and that would mean having to learn some special technique that could counter both Telekinesis and those energy blades called Light Sabers. He would have to speak with Trieste on that subject and learn all he could about the Force and the disciplines employed by the Jedi. Heck, even Shampoo-an admitted outsider-seemed to know a lot more on the subject than he did!

"There you go," Shampoo announced when she finished cleaning Nabiki's wound, "There should be no further bleeding...however, I sense that there is still a trace amount of the spiritual residue left by the evil weapon. An exorcism must be performed and your spirit will need to be cleansed of the evil before it can infect the rest of your sprit."

"Ah...thanks Doc," Nabiki gave the Chinese girl an even more intense lookover, taking special notice of the fact that this Shampoo had a figure that was utterly to die for, and-unless Nabiki missed her guess by a country mile-  
those bosoms perking through a Chinese cheosong were entirely natural with no artificial preservatives added. It gave her savior a spectacularly feminine appearance that belied her rough-and-tumble appearance and the clearly marked her as a wild and untamed beauty, the kind of girl that other girls knew better than to allow run free around their boyfriends.

"You are welcome," Shampoo replied with a pleasant grin, "This one hopes that you are comfortable. This one did what she could to ease the pain felt by the sister to her Big sister."

"Yeah...about that," Nabiki murmured softly, "How did the two of you meet...and where did you get hold of a Lightsaber?"

"You mean this?" Shampoo held up the object in question, "Look familiar?"

Nabiki blinked, "Hey! That's the spare device I made for Oneechan!"

"It was gift given to Shampoo by this one's Big Sister when they part company in China," the Amazon smiled, "She said that one of her sisters is a very clever girl who learned to make wonders of technology such as this to help her in her training. This one prizes it beyond any other thing in her possession..."

"Ah..." Ranma hesitantly spoke up, "What's the real story there? How exactly did you two hook up, and how did she become your Big Sister?"

"Ah, a very long and interesting story," Shampoo smiled, "Maybe three years back two strangers appeared on the edges of our village seeking wisdom from the Elders. This one was young and very foolish at the time and did not understand the older girl, and being full of pride she challenged her and lost. It was a very humiliating encounter...but it taught this one much, and when her Elder forbade giving the kiss of Death the girl was instead adopted into this one's clan and made an honorary Amazon and oath sister."

"You fought Oneechan?" Nabiki asked with lifted eyebrows.

"More than one time," Shampoo smiled ruefully, "It galled this one's pride that an outsider girl could be so good, but it made her wonder why she herself did not fight better. This one decided to learn from fighting and began to listen as her teacher explained the ways of the Jedi. At first this one did not understand, but in time she came to see how her Big Sister lived the philosophy of her teacher. This one still did not understand, but one day her Big Sister saved her from drowning."

"She saved your life, Shampoo?" Ranma lifted both eyebrows.

"Aiyaa," the purple haired girl avowed softly, "Other warriors in village resented this one, for she was arrogant and very foolish in her pride and many times would...how would you say? Rub their noses in the dirt when victory came to her in tournaments and challenge matches. One day they challenged her at a bridge that was remote from our village. This one was talking with her Big Sister when six warriors attacked us. We fought them off, but this one got careless and lost her footing...she fell into a cold stream fed by a nearby waterfall and lost consciousness, perhaps even would have drowned if her Big Sister had not jumped in to rescue her. From that moment onward this one dedicate her life to honoring her Big Sister, by taking everything that she learned at her side and practicing it every night and day until this one was truly worthy of being her Little Sister."

"And Oneechan also taught you how to speak such good Japanese?" Nabiki added, taking note of this strange girl's odd speech pattern and tendency to refer to herself in the third person.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo rolled her eyes, "It is very hard speaking in your tongue. Good thing this one's mother knew enough to help her practice at home, but Big Sister encourage this one to study hard and even learn to think in Japanese...but this one still has not mastered the art of personal pronouns."

"You do pretty good just the same," Ranma said, "A lot better than my Chinese...and my Pop can't even speak a word of that," he added with a growl that was truly resentful.

Shampoo nodded and continued, "Then one day, six months after coming to live with us in our village, Big Sister and her Teacher left our village to continue their quest. This one vowed never to forget her Big sister and trained very hard to be just like her."

"That's...quite a story," Nabiki said, shifting the focus of her gaze significantly before adding, "So...how did you two meet, Ranma-kun?"

"Ah...well..." Ranma began, "It happened a couple of months ago, back when Pop and me were traveling through China. Right after we got these dumb curses we stumbled into Joketsuzoku...right about the time they were having some kind of tournament or something..."

"It was the yearly festival of the harvest," Shampoo said with some amusement, "This one was competing as a representative of her family and doing very well against her rivals, which was only to be expected as this one has trained all of her life under the greatest War Master of our village, and she has fought with the other warriors of her age group on previous occasions. There was nothing at all exceptional about it to distinguish it from previous tournaments in which this one has competed...except that when she turned to see her prize for the tournament that was the cream of our harvest, she found a girl and a panda heartily digging in and consuming her feast before she could present it to her tribespeople at the beginning of what was intended to be three days of glorious feasting."

"Ah...well...we were kinda hungry," Ranma winced, seeing Nabiki turned a questioning look in his direction.

"This one...was less than amused," Shampoo grinned, "And she asked why you were taking without asking like a pair of thieves come down from the mountains. You seemed surprised that this one challenged you over this..."

"Well," Ranma said sheepishly, "I know there was a sign saying the food was supposed to be yours, but we couldn't read it, and Pop never did bother to ask folks before helping himself to whatever was left lying out in the open..."

"Indeed," Shampoo gave a smile that was suggestive of pure mischief, "And this one proposed that the outsider girl who had stolen her feast should offer up her panda in exchange. After all...panda is quite a delicacy in certain parts of China."

Something about the way the girl phrased that conjured up a mental picture of Genma's panda form being laid out on a platter with an apple in his mouth. Nabiki could not help herself for laughing at the concept, thinking off all the troubles that Ranma's father was responsible for coming so rapidly out into the open.

"Oh yeah...that woulda been something," even Ranma could not help grinning, "Of course since it was supposed to be a prize I thought...well...maybe if I fought you for it, it would be all right...and who knew?"

"Oh yes," Shampoo chuckled, "And this one never forget what happen when we meet on challenge log...it was a most surprising fight, and one that will long be remembered in Joketsuzoku..."

And as the purple haired girl began reciting the tale, Nabiki found herself mentally visualizing the incident as if she had been physically present and had witnessed things first hand, hearing the narration told from the perspective of both Shampoo and Ranma...

Shampoo studied the other girl confronting her on the challenge log, wondering just why her instincts were telling her to be careful and not take this one for granted. Whoever this outsider was, she was very good, that much could be told at a glance from the way the girl carried herself, the confidence in her movements, the intensity of her aura, the set of her blue eyes, suggesting that she was reading Shampoo every bit as much as she was being read in turn, suggesting she was both intelligent and alert, most obviously not a foe to be taken lightly.

Shampoo judged that she had the edge in terms of size and strength, but that counted for little less than nothing if her opponent had speed and agility to suit her compact frame. The redhead was almost too relaxed and cocky, as if this fight were a forgone conclusion. At another time Shampoo would have been infuriated by this presumptive attitude and have desire nothing less than to smash her into submission. The old Shampoo would have rushed in without hesitation...but Shampoo had learned years ago how foolish it was to take anything for granted, let alone the worthiness of one's opponent.

Shampoo decided to act and test the strength of the other girl, rushing forward with her bonbori maces, only to see the girl drop low and spin into her guard, and before Shampoo could react she felt the impact of a foot in her gut almost knocking the wind out of her sails and propelling her backwards, almost to the end of the log, which would have ended the fight with ridiculous ease and caused Shampoo no end of public humiliation.

But Shampoo had not trained for a lifetime to be caught napping this easily and at once went limp as the foot pushed her forward, flexing out like a limber jack-knife and performing an impossible backflip that diminished her momentum and gave her just enough lift to angle herself back onto the log for a desperate one-point landing. Even though she had just saved herself am acute embarrassment, Shampoo felt chagrined and her confidence was momentarily shaken as she fought for balance and sucked in her wind, feeling her stomach muscles tense and flex with autonomic contractions until settling in as the last bit of the hydrostatic shock was dispersed throughout her body.

(That was too close!) Shampoo thought with furious chagrin, (She is good...better than this one dared imagine! This could actually turn out to be an interesting match).

"Whoah," the redhead in question widened her eyes in obvious appreciation, "Nice save."

"You have not seen anything yet, Outlander," Shampoo actually smiled as she leveled her maces, "This time is for real."

"Okay," the redhead smiled as she fell into a fighting crouch, "Show me whatcha got."

"Gladly," Shampoo replied and rushed forward once more, only this time without leaving such an obvious opening, determined to see if the girl had the speed and strength to match her bluster.

As expected the girl met her charge by avoiding the attack, but to Shampoo's complete surprise the redhead vaulted high over her head and planted a hand to the top of Shampoo's head, and had the Amazon not managed to brace herself against this she would have been pushed forward and off of the log. Obviously this redhead girl was BOTH fast and agile, and very tricky in the way she would take advantage of any opportunity to win. As Shampoo fought once again to keep her balance and whirled around to meet the other girl she was finding her spirits rising, realizing as she did that this would be an honest-to-the-  
Ancestors challenge to her fighting prowess!

Shampoo made a backwards swing and caught the foot that had been about to kick her in the rear, only to find the that redhead kicked off the hollow metal sphere and tried to use it for leverage with another kick that would have connected with the side of her head if Shampoo had straightened up at just the wrong moment.

But Shampoo, too, had surprises of her own in store, and she thrust forward with the other mace as the redhead was still in mid-air, intending to catch her in the back of the head and knock her out solidly...but to her surprise the redhead did a complete flip-around and caught the metal sphere with both hands...

SHE CAUGHT IT!

And then she casually flipped herself over, planting both feet upon the mace, balancing herself as Shampoo stood poised with her arm outstretched supporting her weight at a most unfortunate angle.

"Not bad," the redhead smiled, "You are pretty good, but you still lose."

Then as Shampoo stared in amazement her foe vaulted over her had and landed with a handspring on the log, and the next thing she knew she felt a proverbial kick-  
to-the-rear that launched her into the air once again, and this time with far too much momentum to be countered with mere acrobatics. She had only instants to react, however, doing the only thing that she could, which was to throw her bonbori forward and use the inertia to slow her forward trajectory. It was not enough, however, to completely save her, and if she did not act fast then she would lose the fight altogether.

That was when she calmed her mind and opened herself up to the power that she had been working for three years to master, a power she had learned from the only other Outsider female to ever give her this much trouble, a power she felt flowing through the air, filling the space all around her. In her minds eye she could perceive the log, her opponent and the rest of her villagers all around her and picture perfectly where she was in relation to each, then reach out to feel the flow of the Force lines and tap into their currents to guide her back to the log for a graceful one-point landing.

"Whoah..." the redhead breathed, "How the heck did you do that?"

"Hmmm," Shampoo smiled at her, "For an outsider girl you are very impressive. Your performance is magnificent and your skill surpasses all expectations."

"If you're saying I'm good, then I'm saying I'm the best," the redhead hooked a finger at herself, "The name's Saotome Ranma, and you?"

"Xian Pu," Shampoo replied, "Champion of this tourney."

"Well, that's yet to be proven," Ranma grinned, "Let's settle this between us."

"You have the spirit of a warrior," Shampoo remarked as she studied the warrior once again, "You never give ground and you are always ready to fight, but you do not fight without cause or reason. You are fighting on behalf of your panda."

"Uh...I am?" that caused Ranma to pause and think about it, then turn to the side and say, "Oyaji, what am I doing this-HEY! CUT THAT OUT!"

"Huh?" Shampoo turned to see what had so upset her follow combatant and saw that the Panda had half-finished off the table full of food, "HEY, YOU STOP THAT! THAT FOOD IS FOR THE VILLAGE!"

"The nerve of that twit!" Ranma balled her fist, "I go through all of this for his sake and all he can think of is his own fat stomach! That's it! I quit! Only you'd better start running, Old Man, or I'm gonna turn you into a fur coat!"

"You not do it without this one!" Shampoo cried as both she and the redhead vaulted clear of the log, causing Genma to go bug-eyed and stop what he was eating to turn and flee like the very devil was on his hide, and for a creature that was nominally four-footed he made pretty good time with two angry girls hot on his trail and gaining rapidly...

"And what did you do when you caught him?" Nabiki asked once she stopped giggling.

"Beat the crap out of him, of course," Ranma answered, "And then we started to talk. Since we no longer had any reason to fight each other it was surprisingly easy to talk out our problem."

"Indeed," Shampoo replied, "And when great-grandmother returned from visiting another village she was able to discover the truth about the Jusenkyo curse that Ranma and his father were under. That was when we agreed to adopt him into our clan so as to avoid any remaining complications. That is why I call Ranma my clan-brother...or sister, which ever form he currently inhabits."

"Well, you two seem to get along pretty well," Nabiki mused, "So why were you so panic-stricken when you saw her earlier, Ranma-kun?"

"Er...well..." Ranma winced, "Pop and me...we didn't exactly leave under the best of terms..."

"Oh?" Nabiki asked, "C'mon...what happened?"

"Ranma agreed that he would pay back the village by working off the debt created by his father," Shampoo answered, "But his father did not believe in honoring that agreement, and one night they both left in a hurry. This one believes it was not willingly on your part, my clan-brother?"

"You got that right," Ranma growled, "That old man can be pretty sneaky sometimes, so Pop waited until I was tired, then tied me up and carried me off like a sack of old laundry. I didn't think you'd believe me when I got loose, and Pop kept insisting we had to return home to Japan, so...well...it wasn't exactly the first time we skipped out without paying our bills. I'm real sorry about that..."

"You do not need to apologize to this one, Ranma," Shampoo said in amusement, "Make your apologies to great-grandmother when she arrives here."

"Urk," Ranma winced, "I think I'd rather apologize to you, if you don't mind."

"This one does not mind," Shampoo grinned, "But this one cannot speak for her great-grandmother."

"Uh...who is this great-grandmother of yours?" Nabiki wondered.

"She is the wisest of the Joketsuzoku, Nabiki," Kasumi explained as she entered the room, followed by Trieste and a reluctant Doctor Tofu, "Ancient and powerful in the ways of the Force, though her discipline is very different from the ways of the Jedi. I am pleased to see how strong you have become since we last met, Shampoo-san, you have taken the teachings to a farther extent than I had hoped, my clan-sister."

"And you have become powerful in your own right, clan-sister," Shampoo replied, "I could tell when we met that you are in tune with the Force and have nearly mastered your teachings."

"Or close enough that it hardly matters," Trieste remarked, "How are you feeling, Nabiki-chan?"

"Stiff," Nabiki winced, glancing at her shoulder, "It twinges a little..."

"Oh my," Tofu came closer, "You did that by yourself? That's very good stitch work. You must have had professional teaching."

"Ah...yes," Shampoo looked at the handsome doctor and colored a little, "This one's mother is the Tribal Healer...and she studied at the University in Beijing to obtain her medical degree. Shampoo...this one...has assisted her on occasion, and yes, sometimes she has had to repair wounds and injuries warriors have received through fighting."

"Well then, your mother must be very proud of you," Tofu complimented, "I'd very much like the chance to meet her some day. I do hope that you remembered to clean the instruments, though...it wouldn't do for Nabiki to lose an arm through a possible infection."

"LOSE AN ARM?" Nabiki said in alarm, only to see the Doctor's smile and realize belatedly that he was only teasing.

"This one did what she could to clean the wound, the thread and the needle," Shampoo replied, "But I believe there may be impurities left by the weapon itself, for it was touched by the Dark Side, and it must be attended to for the safety of your younger sister."

"We will do what is necessary," Trieste affirmed, "But Nabiki will need rest, and that means you will have to forgo physical training until the arm is fully recovered. In the meantime...what can you tell us about the Sith Padawan who did this?"

"She was good," Nabiki said, "In a bad sort of way...almost as good as Kasumi."

"She was very strong," Shampoo agreed, "But her divided heart worked against her."

"Huh?" Ranma said, "Divided heart? You mean...she wasn't doing this because she wanted to?"

"She is under the influence of the Dark Side," Trieste explained, "It influences her thoughts and actions, but I, too, sensed the conflict within her. There is good beneath the evil, and I do not think she is entirely happy with the choice she is pursuing."

"I don't know about these things as well as you do, Trieste-san," Tofu remarked, "But it sounds like you're describing someone in a state of heavy denial. Lots of people make a practice of ignoring their conscience and feelings when going after a goal, and it often makes them act like their own worst enemies."

"I believe you may be onto something there, Tofu-san," Trieste replied, "Kuonji-  
san's rage against Ranma comes from her betrayal by his father, but she must know it is a mistake to hold him responsible for the mistakes of Saotome Genma."

"And when she finally figures it out...what then?" Nabiki asked, "She's still a Sith Apprentice, and if it hadn't been for Ranma's friend here I might have been shishkabob on the end of her Lightsaber."

"Kuonji is powerful," Kasumi agreed, "I have felt her power in two separate encounters, but perhaps she has not given herself totally to the Dark Side. If it is possible that she might be saved..."

"Hell yeah!" Ranma agreed, "I don't want anybody else getting hurt because of me. If we can do something to snap her out of whatever it is that's making her so angry..."

"Which reminds me," Nabiki turned back to Trieste, "Sensei...I've been meaning to speak with you about Akane...her behavior of late..."

"Yes," Trieste nodded sadly, "I have been noticing over the last two days a serious decline in her mental state...no doubt the stress that she has been under recently has begun to tell. I will look into this and see what I can do to make up for not being there for her over the last year."

"Well I'm sure nothings wrong with Akane," Tofu smiled pleasantly, "She's in here every now and then for some minor complaints, or if she's done more than the usual amount of damage to one of those boys chasing after her, but it's probably just a phase she's going though, I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Nabiki eyed the Doctor incredulously, then looked towards Kasumi and projected, (What's gotten into him, Sis? Why's he acting so mellow around you all of a sudden?)

(Sensei did something to calm his nerves), Kasumi answered, (I believe it is a Shiatsu technique that she learned from Elder Kho-Lon, Xian-Pu's great-  
grandmother. The effect is only temporary, but it seems to be calming him down...at least for the moment.)

(Well, when it wears off, I'm leaving), Nabiki telepathed back, then smiled benevolently and said, "Well, at any rate, I'd like you to speak with Akane about laying off of Ranma. The way she's been acting around him you'd think he had horns or something..."

"Indeed," Trieste agreed, "Such anger is unlike her...or rather unlike the student I once knew. I believe she has been acting overly aggressive with the other boys in her class instead of showing proper restraint in the use of her powers."

"These...Jedi powers," Ranma looked around from one face to the other, "You all can use this Force...even you, Shampoo?"

"This one is not yet strong in the ways of the Force," Shampoo replied, "But thanks to Elder Trieste and Big Sister this one has learned much and has practiced her teachings."

"And very well by all accounts," Trieste replied, giving Ranma a more critical study, "But I sense that your question is not academic. You are concerned about being left behind...about being considered weak in your own eyes. This is not a valid cause to renew your training. A Jedi does not harbor desires or rate himself in comparison to another. A Jedi acts from feelings and sincerely held convictions, and if you seek to master the Force you must first become a master of your own desires."

"I...don't understand," Ranma admitted.

"That's all right, Ranma-kun," Kasumi smiled, "It's also a very good place for a beginning. Admitting that you do not know is the first step towards enlightenment, for a cup cannot be filled unless it is first empty."

"Excellently stated, my Padawan," Trieste beamed brightly, "And that is why you will be in charge of Ranma's training. Ranma...consider Kasumi to be your elder sister in learning the ways of the Jedi arts. You will study under her and learn by her example the ways of the Force, exactly as Shampoo once did...and you can tell by the results that my Apprentice is an excellent teacher."

"Ah..." it was Kasumi's turn to look hesitant as she exchanged glanced with Ranma, then glanced down, "I will do as you ask, Sensei...if it is agreeable to Ranma-kun."

"Um...sure," Ranma said awkwardly, "If you think that's for the best..."

"Hmmm," Nabiki frowned, but she voiced no protest over this arrangement.

"One question, however," Trieste turned back to Shampoo, "You haven't yet told us why you are here in Japan, Shampoo-san."

"Aiyaa," the purple haired girl replied, "This one almost forgot!"

"Ur-ah...I thought it was because of me and Pop..." Ranma said nervously.

"Silly Ranma," Shampoo teased, "Not everything in the universe revolves around you and your less-than-honorable father. It is true that great-grandmother sent me to find out where you were going, but then I received word from her that a boy I once knew had been to our village and would seem to have gained an incorrect interpretation of our relationship. He flew off in a rage and declared that he would see you dead, and he is the sort of foolish warrior who cannot be easily talked down from an idea that enters his head...believe me, I have tried in the past to dissuade him."

"He's obsessed over you?" Nabiki asked.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "Do you mean Mu-Tsu?"

"The very same," Shampoo nodded sadly, "Only worse than you remember...and something terrible has befallen him. He has joined with an evil crowd to which the warrior we fought also belongs. This one could sense the darkness that attended them like a cloud, and one whose aspect is more terrible than all the rest..."

"Purge," Trieste replied, "Mu-Tsu, a boy from your village, has gone to work for the Dark Side. This truly is a tragic situation."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo looked down, "And soon may be worse if the one named U-Kyo relates back that she encountered this one defending Ranma and you others."

"Mousse," Ranma frowned, "You mean that long-haired guy we ran into yesterday? The one who sprouted wings and looked like an Angel?"

"He is not really an Angel, Ranma," Kasumi replied, "He is a very confused young man who has had to fight for recognition all of his life, and somehow he got it into his mind that he had to possess Shampoo to prove that he is a man of status among the Joketsuzoku..."

"Waitaminute," Nabiki said, "You Amazons have male fighters? But I thought Amazons were supposed to be all women?"

"That is a silly prejudice that outsiders believe," Shampoo dismissed, "Pay no mind to what others say, Amazons are strong warriors, but we need men to have babies. We may not need them in every other sense, but we do prize men who are strong and capable fighters."

"But Mu-Tsu confused strength with worth in other matters," Kasumi said sadly, "And he did not understand the relationship that existed then between myself and my little sister. He challenged me...and when he lost he was very much embittered."

"So you think this Mousse guy is out for revenge, huh?" Nabiki said, then blinked, "Wait a minute...what kind of relationship are we talking about here? You were...what, thirteen and sixteen, right?"

"Ah...well..." Kasumi replied, looking somewhat evasive.

"Let us just say that there is more and less there than Mousse imagines," Shampoo's smile was oddly enigmatic.

"Huh?" Ranma glanced from one party to the next, wondering why he seemed to be the only guy in the room who didn't catch the significance of this exchange, then shrugged his shoulders and decided it was not important...at least at the moment...

"I take it that your plan did not develop as you intended," Purge remarked as he saw the angry scowl on the face of his Apprentice.

"You could say that, Master," Ukyo said darkly as she angrily stormed past him, "His mother turns out to be even fruitier than I thought possible, can you believe she actually thinks having multiple fianc es is a sign of manly behavior?"

Purge had to think about that one before he replied, "You are jesting?"

"Nope," Ukyo paused to retrieve her bakers peel from where she had left it at their campsite, then picked up her dark school uniform with its bandoleer of throwing weapons, pausing to add, "And that's not all...the guy's even picked up another admirer to add salt to the picture. I would have had his little bitch, but then this broad with purple hair jumped in and spoiled our little fight...and I'm wondering just who she sounds like. Got any ideas about that one...Sugar?"

Ukyo came to a halt only a meter away from Mousse, who looked up at her in surprise and said, "What has this to do with me? So you met a girl with purple hair? What's so unusual about-SHAMPOO!?"

The Chinese boy jumped to his feet with such abruptness that anyone other than Ukyo might have been alarmed and taken defensive action, but Ukyo did not flinch even when he seized hold of her by the arms and cry, "You saw her? Is she well? Was she with Saotome?"

Ukyo regarded him coolly, then with a flexing of both arms threw the taller boy back onto the tree stump he had been sitting on before. It was not by strength or martial arts ability that she managed this but rather the force coursing through her, which made the half-blind boy stare up at her in amazement, seeing what looked like a dark halo around the chef's brown haired head, creating the illusion that she was much taller and more terrifying than was actually the case from any reasonably objective standpoint.

The other two at the camp only glanced up from what they were individually doing, wondering what had caused the senior member of their little merry band of Dark Side apprentices to go so ballistic, but neither one felt like openly broaching the question.

"In answer to your question," Ukyo replied, "Yes, yes and HELL YES! And not only that...she was strong with the Force...and guess where she must have learned that."

"The Jedi," Purge frowned darkly, "It seems that they are gathering their numbers. This is not welcome news, but I suppose it could not be avoided."

"Maybe so, Master," Ukyo turned to regard him sidelong, "But there may be a way we can even the odds more in our favor. I learned something interesting today about one of the Jedi apprentices...and it may be possible that we can turn one of them over to our side."

"Oh really?" Purge flicked his tongue in interest, "Do go on...this sounds faintly...amusing..."

"Turn a Jedi over to our side?" Taro brightened up, "Now that does sound interesting. What have you got in mind, a recruiting drive, or are you just headhunting for a date?"

Ukyo ignored the insinuation and said, "I'm going to sound her out and find out if what I suspect is actually the case. She should still be at school, so if I hurry up I can catch her. I'll let you know if I turn up anything...interesting, Master."

"Then you ought to be on your way, shouldn't you?" Purge mused, seeing the spark of interest in his apprentice's eyes as a sign of her renewed enthusiasm, which meant further mischief was in the offing. If it were possible for him to experience fatherly pride, he would have waxed paternal at that moment, gratified to know that he had chosen well in his Padawan and that one day he would regret having to lose her. Of course being reptilian instead of having the instincts of a mammal, he merely gave his consent and would sit back to enjoy events as they unfolded, knowing that each step brought her closer to the Dark Side and nearer to fulfilling his mission of destroying the Jedi...by one means or another...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Perilous Sieges: shadowmane

The battle for the hearts and minds of both Sith and Jedi begins anew with Ukyo seeking out Akane, who has some explaining to do for her part in recent events. Meanwhile Ranma begins his training under Kasumi while Nabiki probes further to learn all that she can about Shampoo's involvement with her sister...and a certain figure of legend makes her way down from China. Be with us next time for: "The Padawan Blues," or "Dark Skies Arising." Be there!

X

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	9. Chapter 9

JediKasumi09

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim R Bader &amp;  
Brandon Kelley

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and George Lucas)

Chapter Nine.

Rendezvous with Ranma!

Having thwarted the villainous attempt of Kuonji Ukyo to kill her hated rival, Tendo Nabiki, the Amazon warrior named Shampoo reveals that she is clan-brethren to both Ranma and Kasumi and is there to warn them about Mousse, a boy from her village who has gone over to work for the Dark Side as an apprentice to the evil Sith Lord, Dark Purge, mortal enemy of the Jedi Knight, Trieste, Kasumi's mentor...

Kimiko Tendo, mother to the Tendo sisters, contacts Nodoka with the intent of uniting her former friend with her long-lost son and husband. However,  
Genma Saotome reveals the existence of a "suicide"  
pact that obligates Genma and his son to commit Seppuku should Ranma fail to become "A Man above Men." Hoping to avoid this dire fate, Ranma appears in female form and learns to his dismay that her mother's definition of "Manliness" includes being sexually attractive to multiple fianc es...not only Nabiki and Kasumi but also Ukyo thus qualify as proof of his "Manly" behavior...

Frustrated in her quest for vengeance, Ukyo learns that one of the Tendo sisters named Akane is less than thrilled about having Ranma living in the same house, and that she is subject to frequent irrational rages, which make her seem vulnerable to the influence of the Dark Side, and with her Master's approval goes in search of Akane to learn if she can be "turned" against her sisters...

Akane trudged home feeling somewhat moody and dejected, a feeling becoming all too common with her of late, ever since a certain "not to be named" BOY had come to live in their house, taking the normal pattern of daily existence with the Tendos and turning it solidly on its eardrums!

It was not-as she would have heatedly insisted-that having a boy around at all would have been this objectionable, but to have such a conceited, stuck-up, uncouth and downright RUDE specimen of the male sex living under the roof was wholly intolerable, especially one who clearly had designs on both of her older siblings and who had somehow managed to ingratiate himself into even such a hard-headed sort as Nabiki was simply unfathomable to Akane. Add to this the fact that the pervert switched genders with a dash of water and you ran into a recipe for total confusion, at least insofar as Akane had so far come to figuring that BOY out.

Akane knew what people said about her behind her back at school, that she was an out-and-out Lesbian and only cared about spending time with other women. This was, like most rumors, only partially accurate as she did prefer girls over boys, but she was NOT (as she once again would have insisted) a "Bull Dyke with raging hormones." In truth she did like the male gender...in a generalized sense...but as for that crop of oversexed DROOLERS who constituted her "Fan Club" of the month-FORGET IT! She much preferred the girls in her school because they were (mostly) far more level-headed and sensible about most subjects (except when it came to BOYS, of course, in which case some girls could be total ninnies!), and besides...she had fun around girls and accepted the fact that girls affected her in a different way to which few boys could even hope to compete.

There was, however, one male member of the set who could bring a sigh to her lips, and he was an older man who barely even knew that she existed. Akane had been drawn to him since she was a little girl, but never once had he seemed to take notice of her as a young and promising woman...a fact that frustrated her all the more knowing how the guy in question could go bananas in the presence of Kasumi! Then he would be a hopeless basket case, little better than the boys in her classes. In a way she felt sorry for him because she knew her sister did not return his unrequited affections, but there was always the hope (in her heart of hearts) that one day she might be able to pick him up on the rebound.

Of course until that day happened she was hardly going to wait around and pine for him forever!

Akane sighed...this was hardly a subject that could perk her up after the last two days of near-constant aggravation. Kasumi's return from her yearlong sojourn as Sensei Trieste's Padawan would normally be a time for rejoicing, but instead the experience was tainted by the near-simultaneous arrival of Ranma and his deadbeat father.

Upon first being greeted by an attractive-looking girl, Akane's hopes of a new friendship were nearly instantly dashed with the discovery that the girl was in actuality a BOY and (worse by far) one who was engaged by an honor arrangement to either herself or one of her sisters. That by itself had set her teeth on edge, but then the boy went and defeated her in the martial arts...even when Akane had resorted to her Force training to "even things out a bit," and it had galled her to even admit that she had been forced to resort to her "advanced" training in the first place!

Subsequent to this was Trieste's announcement that Ranma would be taken on by her as a new apprentice, which naturally prompted in Akane a "What did he do to deserve this?" reaction. Oh, she knew the boy was good (she had studied his fighting style against both herself and her two sisters) and it was clear that he knew some rudimentary Chi techniques, but learn the ways of the Force? Now that made no sense to her whatsoever!

Akane knew that mastering the Force took a special kind of mindset, one that neither she nor Nabiki truly possessed in sufficient measure. Kasumi could handle the demands of full Jedi training because her mental discipline was the strongest and she lacked any sense of outward aggression. She was not subject to fits and moods such as Akane often suffered, nor was Nabiki all that spiritual in her leanings, so both had been ruled out for full apprenticeship and had only been taught by Trieste to the level that was considered "sufficient" to their abilities.

But in one day Saotome Ranma comes along and it begins to look like Kasumi is going to have some competition! Kasumi was a heroine to Akane, a role model and someone to look up to, while this...guy...had none of the qualities she so admired in her oldest sister. He was wild and out of control, headstrong and impulsive with barely any manners at all and some of the worst communications skills that Akane had ever experienced in a boy her own age. Making him out to be a rough diamond worth cutting into something fit and polished would likely take more work than seemed worthwhile to Akane's understanding of the matter, and the possibility that the Boy might be tempted to the Dark Side was never to be discounted.

(So what does Trieste have in mind for him?) she asked herself in silence, adding in brief undertone, (And what does he have that I'm lacking?)

All at once her senses felt a prickling along her spine, like a cold breeze blowing down her back, and Akane halted in mid-stride, glancing around and feeling her surroundings for the source of the disturbance. She made out a presence slightly off to one side and called out, "Who are you...and what do you want?"

"Pretty good," came a familiar response, "Not many people can detect me that easily. You are pretty good...for someone who walks on the Light side."

"U-Ukyo?" Akane turned to stare at a shadow that detached itself from a copse of nearby trees, and sure enough the figure became instantly recognizable as the dark-clad Sith girl whom she had encountered on the previous morning.

"You remembered," Ukyo's smile was flinty, "I'm flattered."

Akane did not relax her posture, but she made an effort to stand more at ease as she said, "Come here to pick a fight with me?"

"That all depends," Ukyo replied, "Are you looking for a fight?"

"Maybe," Akane smiled back in a knowing sense, "If a fight is what you're after."

"Actually...I thought maybe we could talk first," Ukyo said as she hopped down onto the sidewalk, "Fighting's such heavy business, I like to get to know the people I fight first...if you have no objections?"

"None at all," Akane smiled all the more. This was better than she would have hoped for. Fighting was something she actually enjoyed doing, but if given the choice to talk...well...this girl certainly looked like the might be interesting company, even if she was a Sith apprentice. "What would you like to talk about?"

"I just wanted to sound you out about something," Ukyo inclined her head and said, "This morning you seemed pretty down about Ranchan..."

"Him again?" Akane's frown crushed out the pleasure that had so-briefly been upon her features, "What about him?"

"I take it you're not exactly his biggest fan, Sugar?" Ukyo lifted an eyebrow.

"If you mean do I like the jerk, why should I?" Akane flared, "He's an obnoxious pig and he's nothing but trouble, and according to you he was just the same way ten years ago, so what reason would I have to like him?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ukyo studied the other girl's aura and confirmed that she was being on the level, "He is kind of handsome, and your sister did seem to be taking a real liking to my...fianc e. I guess maybe I kind of overreacted there myself, but you've got to admit that she and Ranchan were being real chummy..."

"Nabiki's gone out of her mind if she thinks that guy's worth the trouble," Akane said, "She used to be so practical and level-headed...then HE comes waltzing into our house and BANG! Whatever sense she had has just gone right out the window! I don't understand that that guy has that makes him so attractive! Most of the girls in school couldn't even stop talking about him and they were bugging me about where he went after lunch recess..." Akane paused and added, "Where did you go, for that matter? I was looking for you..."

"You were?" Ukyo blinked.

"Sure," Akane said with a straight face, "You were the new girl in our school today, and you created quite a stir yourself. More than a few guys were turning their heads to look at you in our early period...I thought a couple of them were going to give themselves a case of whiplash."

"I'm not sure how to take that," Ukyo honestly admitted.

"Well," Akane smiled slyly, "Considering that you dress like a boy and can kick most of their butts without half trying might have something to do with it, although I think they just felt that you're a pretty girl that they'd like to know better. Too bad you've wasted ten years of your life chasing after a real creep, you might actually have noticed."

Ukyo was more than a little unsure about where this conversation was headed, and it made her feel somewhat...confused as she found herself drifting off her original focus. With an effort she said, "It ain't a matter of romance, Sugar...it's an affair of honor. I owe that Jackass for humiliating me and causing me to lose face in front of my own father. I can't really be a woman at all until I put what's between us in the past..."

"I know," Akane said sympathetically, "And I can't really blame you for feeling like that. It's just such a shame that you're doing it over that Baka."

"Ah..." Ukyo definitely knew that she was drifting WAY off topic and she fought to keep control by falling back on the burning knot of Anger that was always threatening to boil over to the surface, "Well...one day I'm going to have my vengeance, but for now...you know I'm going to do everything I can to pay him back."

"I guess you have to," Akane sighed, "That must be the way of the Dark Side."

"Yeah?" Ukyo sniffed, "And what would you know about it?"

"Absolutely nothing," Akane admitted, "I was trained in the way of the Light and warned against the Dark Side. What I know about the Sith are just stories...stories about how you guys destroyed a great Republic, or something like that..."

"Stories told to you by your Master," Ukyo pointed out, "The Jedi Knight called Trieste?"

"Exactly," Akane answered, "She says that the Sith loves nobody and no one, that they're totally steeped in evil and hate the world in general...but...you don't really seem to be at all like that."

"WHAT?" Ukyo reacted, "W-Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Just an impression I have," Akane said, "I'm usually pretty good about reading people I've just met and...well...aside from the Vengeance thing, you don't really seem all that evil. I mean...I don't want to insult you or anything, but do evil people really stop to talk to their enemies? I'd expect you to jump out at me or try and take me hostage, force Sensei Trieste or my sisters to take some kind of action, maybe even wait in ambush and attack them without warning. Instead...well...you're not all that bad to talk to."

Ukyo felt her confusion growing as her emotions swirled in turmoil over the calm way in which the other girl was stating her observations. On the one half there was her anger, which INDEED was an ever-constant thing and caused her to feel a generalized disdain towards other people. On the other hand there was a sense of familiarity, almost a feeling of shared kinship that tentatively made her like this other girl, in spite of ever reason she had not to feel such positive emotions. Here was a girl who honestly seemed to care and sympathize with her, a girl with whom she seemed to have a lot in common. It definitely did not mesh well with her initial game plan to sound the girl out then bring her (kicking and screaming, if necessary) to deliver before her master for possible conversion.

"How do you know that I'm not about to kidnap you?" Ukyo challenged, "I could be seeking to turn you over to the Dark Side."

"You could try," Akane smiled gently, "But how would you know that I won't try to do the same thing in reverse?"

"You mean...turn...me?" Ukyo was shocked by the very notion.

"Are you saying it's not possible?" Akane pouted, "What a pity, and I was honestly starting to like you."

"Like...me?" Ukyo blinked, then suddenly she felt an urge to shout, "Hey, don't you know I've been trying to kill your sister?"

"Have you been able to so far?" Akane asked.

"Ah...no," Ukyo admitted with some reluctance.

"I knew you hadn't," Akane said, "I'd have felt it if anything really bad happened to either Nabiki or Kasumi, and so far all I've felt is this annoying twinge in my shoulder. Cropped up during Gym class, almost caused me to take a spill on the balanced beam. I take it you couldn't do it?"

"I was prevented," Ukyo said almost defensively, "Some bimbo came out of nowhere and stopped me."

"Maybe you wanted to be stopped...did you ever think of that?" Akane suggested.

"Now you're just full of wishful thinking!" Ukyo snorted and prepared to turn away, only to be stopped by the other girl's next statement.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I offended you," Akane urged, "We could still fight if you'd like. Would that make you feel better?"

Ukyo glanced back at the other girl and said, "You're weird..."

"I've been called worse things," Akane smiled, "I have to warn you, though, I am pretty good. You may even be good enough to fight Oneechan, but I won't make it easy."

"Let me get this straight," Ukyo frowned, "You WANT me to fight you? And do you know what will happen if I WIN?"

"That would be up to you, I suppose," Akane shrugged, "But there's always the chance that I could win. Don't count me out until you've tried me."

"You?" Ukyo tried to make her voice sound skeptical, but somehow the word came out with more stress as a question.

"Yep," Akane nodded, "And if I win...well...then you'd owe me a favor. That is...I guess Sith don't honor agreements either, huh? Well, I'm sure we'd think of something..."

"And what would you really know about the Sith?" Ukyo challenged.

"Not nearly enough," Akane said, "But maybe you could show me. I mean...Ukyo-  
san...what is it like for you...walking on the Dark Side of the Force?"

"I...don't really think I could describe it..." Ukyo started to reply when a voice called out to them both.

"I don't really think that would be too wise."

"Sensei?" Akane said in surprise, finding Trieste standing a little bit apart from the two girls, not really so much frowning as giving her student and the dark-clad Sith a curious study that betrayed little of the hostility one of her kind might experience normally in the face of a representative of their traditional enemies.

"What do you want?" Ukyo's question was more wary than hostile.

"To see to it that one of my stray charges does not wander off into dangerous territories," Trieste answered, "It's a poor shepherd who blames the lamp for getting itself slaughtered...only which of you should I be addressing this to, I wonder?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ukyo snarled, "But don't get in my way! I'm coming back for Ranma and anybody who tries to stop me gets hurt!"

"Like you tried to do to Nabiki?" Trieste asked reasonably, "She's all right, by the way, in case you felt like asking. You didn't aim very well with that spatula of yours, which I must say is a shocking breach of discipline in your training. Should I take it up with your Master?"

Ukyo turned away and growled, "Well...try and stop me, that's all I have to say to you."

"I've no intention of stopping you if you want to leave," Trieste remarked, "But I suggest you don't try anything with Ranma...especially not when it showers. You've only had a small taste of what he could be like if you provoke him once again into the Neko."

Ukyo turned away after shooting a murderous glare towards the Jedi Knight, then she vaulted into a tree and vanished from sight. Akane found herself more than slightly disappointed.

"Did you have to intervene, Sensei?" she asked, "I think I was making real progress..."

"Akane-chan," Trieste sighed, "Did you mean what you said about wanting to know what it is like to talk on the Dark Side?"

"Ah...well..." Akane said sheepishly, "I'd be lying if I said that I...wasn't curious..."

"It is very easy to walk the path of the Dark Side," Trieste informed her, "You just let your emotions take over and they become the rulers of your life. You give into your darker impulses and become their slave, and hate, greed and anger rule you. The Sith are not more powerful than us, but their way is paved with the best of intentions. To be a Sith is to believe that you are the master of your own destiny when-in fact-you are only a pawn to dark and impersonal forces. You are not truly a master of anything...is that what you want to become? Will that be the ultimate outcome of all your training?"

"Ah...well, not exactly, Sensei," Akane admitted, "But...well...it's just that...in the last year while you and Kasumi were away...I've been having...problems with my concentration..."

"So your mother tells me," Trieste replied, then turned back towards the dojo, "Walk with me, Akane-chan...we do have much to talk about, and it seems I have been negligent in your training. My fault that I didn't anticipate something like this happening to you during our absence."

"Ah...sure," Akane said as she fell in step beside her teacher, "Have I...done something wrong to offend you, Sensei?"

"That depends on what you tell me about the direction your life has traveled in the past year," Trieste remarked, "For example...have you a girlfriend at the present?"

"Ah..." Akane felt her cheeks glow crimson, "Not...at the moment...not since I broke up with Sayuri a couple of months ago. It's not that easy to find someone else...it's not like I can...advertise that I'm available."

"I see," Trieste mused, "And may I take it for granted that you are still a virgin?"

"Ah..." Akane halted in mid-stride, compelling her Sensei to turn an amused look in her direction.

"It must be difficult to be tempted," Trieste remarked, "And still maintain your self-image as a 'good girl,'" Trieste smiled a bit as she saw Akane's expression, "You know that I would never pass judgement on you or what you do in your personal life, but it must be that you are concerned about your mother finding out and disapproving. Put your mind at ease on that subject...Kimiko-  
chan and I have talked and we see no problem with you...exploring your options...just as long as it does not interfere with your training or your schoolwork."

"Ah...well..." Akane shuffled a foot as she looked down at the ground, feeling oddly pensive, "It's not...that I haven't been thinking about it...but it's such an awfully big step...and I'd have to really get to know someone before I...could do it..."

"But this Kuonji Ukyo interests you," Trieste observed, "There is something about her that you sense is different from other young girls your age...and not just because she shares your passion in the martial arts, or a fledgling interest in the Dark Side that she represents."

"I wouldn't say I was...hitting on her, Sensei," Akane hesitated before she continued, "But...well...like you say...she's very different...maybe even a little exciting to be around..."

"Just so you are aware of why you feel drawn to her...and not just to the Dark Side," Trieste noted, "There is danger in any sort of relationship, but flirting with a Sith Lord, even one not fully confirmed as a Master...has special complications. You know that the Force can have a strong effect even on those of a sound mind and body, but the powers of suggestion..."

"Are you suggesting that Kuonji might try something on me?" Akane smirked, "That doesn't seem too likely..."

"Actually I was thinking something along the lines of the reverse," Trieste mused, "If Kuonji is as confused as she appeared right now...then it is possible she might be vulnerable to manipulation. It would be...enormously tempting to take advantage of such a situation."

"What? But I'd never-!" Akane started to protest when she saw the broad smile on the lips of her teacher.

"It's good to see that the spirit that I've admired in you all along hasn't been smothered by your recent string of hardships," Trieste mused, "I've heard you've been under some pressure from the boys in your class, and I don't think I'm stepping too far out on a limb to suggest that there might be a connection between this and your resentment towards a certain house guest?"

Akane wondered why it was that she could endure teaching from her Mentor that she would never put up with from any other human being. Even so she could not meet the serene Jedi's expression as she stuttered out a reply, "I-I guess maybe that is partly the reason...but...if only he weren't such a...pest around the house..."

"Are you sure he's really that bad?" Trieste asked, "Perhaps you just got off on the wrong foot. If you gave him half a chance...he might actually surprise you."

"As if," Akane grumbled, "You know, this is really all the fault of that...Kuno Tatewaki..."

"Ah yes," Trieste sighed, "I had also heard that he had become something of a problem of late, though moreso for your sister than for you. Perhaps I should pay my respects to his mother. Hitome is devoted to both of her children and if there is anyone whom Tachi might listen to, it would be her."

"Could you...tell him to make those guys at my school lighten up a little?" Akane sniffed, "I know getting attacked by a horde of boys from various sports clubs every morning could count as training, but they're such pathetic weaklings, and all they're doing is getting themselves hurt...and for what? So they think they can try and convince me to change my mind about who I choose to date?"

"Some young men can be very foolish and easily swayed by people with much stronger opinions," Trieste replied, "No doubt the troubling aspects of teenaged sexuality confuses them, and you stand out among the peers of your age group. Take it as a compliment to your attractive qualities that so many young men would suffer so much on your behalf. Of course they're being ridiculous to even think that you have some tragic condition that needs correcting...it is the way you are, and that is what makes you the kind of person that you are. If they can't accept you on your own terms, then their opinions about you have no relevance and you can ignore them."

"That's easy for you to say, Sensei," Akane sighed, "You haven't heard Kuno give one of his 'Let's Change Akane's Mind About Boys' speeches..." she deepened her voice, squared her shoulders and said, "The vengeance of heaven is slow but certain, and how surely will we be judged if we allow this flower of innocence to go without pollination? Surely the heavens would weep if this pure, chaste and innocent maiden should waste away because she has given up upon the men of our generation? And why not you may ask? Are we so much less than men that she favors the company of her own sex? Nay! I say that we must prove that we are strong, that we are virile, that we are men! So I say that only the strongest among us is worthy of dating Tendo Akane...yadda, yadda, yadda..." Akane dropped off her speech, having done a passable imitation of the boy's speech patterns.

"Oh my," Trieste covered her chuckle with one hand, "Did he actually say that? He wasn't on drugs or anything? I've spoken with their parents on the subject of their experiments with rose extracts..."

"You haven't been around to see the kind of jerk he's been turning into lately, Sensei," Akane sighed, "I think he's totally obsessed with Kasumi, and he considers me fair practice for working his way up to my sister."

"I see," Trieste remarked, "Then I will definitely have to speak with Hitome and her husband on this matter. It's all well and good for a young man to fancy one of my students, but not if he carries this interest to such an absurd extent that it constitutes harassment."

"Thank you, Sensei," Akane smiled, "Having you around again...well...you just make everything seem a whole lot brighter."

"I'm flattered that you think so," Trieste replied, "And I can see that we have a lot of work to do to make up for a year of absence in your training. Both you and your sister, Nabiki, will each need to renew your training, but in your case I think our studies will need to concentrate on rebuilding your focus and sense of your own self. How else will you manage to associate with young Kuonji without being lost to the influence of the Dark Side?"

"And Nabiki?" Akane asked, "She wasn't really too badly hurt by Ukyo...was she?"

"Nice of you to remember," Trieste replied, "She took an injury to the shoulder, but she will be well in next to no time. She will have to take it easy for a few days, but that should give us time to work on building up her strength of mind and body. From there...we will see...but as you progress from childhood to womanhood you will become much stronger in the ways of the Force, and once you learn to walk with it as your friend and ally, then you will be worthy of calling yourself a Jedi."

"I'll study hard and overcome any obstacle, Sensei," Akane promised, "You can count on me..."

"No," Trieste replied, "First recall that working hard has no meaning to a Force Master, let alone a Jedi, and you must rely upon yourself and not seek approval from me. You will be your own judge when you know how to trust your own feelings. Learn to be at peace within yourself and you will worry far less about what others think, say or do. Your emotions can be your strongest weapon or your greatest weakness. Remember that and learn to act from the deepest integrity of heart, mind and body...but beware of your pride and anger. That can be your ultimate undoing."

"My deepest...integrity?" Akane asked, "But...how can I guard against my anger if I'm supposed to be honest about my feelings?"

"That is the first step to your enlightenment, Student," Trieste replied, "When you have found the answer to your own question, then you will be worthy of the next level of your training."

With that thought in mind the two women returned to the dojo, Sensei and Apprentice, and all the while a pair of watchful eyes tracked their every movement. A pair of wings unfolded themselves and the figure took to the air, careful to stay beyond the reach of even a Jedi's sphere of perception, grateful for what he called his "Eagle Sight," a slight compensation for his normally poor eyesight.

"Shampoo...somehow, somewhere I will find you," he spoke over the rushing winds that whipped his hair past his face, "And when I do...Saotome...you wretch! You will feel the wrath of the one you have wronged, so help me Ancestors...!"

Shampoo sneezed then wondered why she had. She was not one who was prone to natural diseases, having always had the most excellent of health, so it was not as if she could seriously credit coming down with a case of the sniffles.

She rubbed her nose and hoped that her adopted clan brother and sister did not notice. It was important to create a good impression before them and their kinswoman, this curious warrior with the odd name of Nabiki who had fought valiantly (if unsuccessfully) against a Sith Lord's apprentice. Her knowledge of Japanese was still not perfect, though considerably enhanced through long hours of study and verbal practice, but it was curious that any family that could produce a warrior like her Big Sister, Kasumi, would name its three daughters "Hazy Mist," "Fluttering" and "Scarlet."

She glanced towards her Big Sister, still as beautiful and capable as Shampoo could ever remember. In the years since they parted company the older girl had grown even taller and more beautiful and was much stronger in the ways of the Force. The helpful tutor who had shown her so much about tapping into the flow of life and learning to master one's heart and spirit had become herself a young Elder worth closer study. In light of their past relationship she had positive feelings about the progress Kasumi's life had taken, especially if she read the situation correctly and her clan-sister was interested in forming marriage ties with her clan-brother...which might put her at odds with her natural-born sister, but then again this could prove interesting incentive for furthering their training. For a surety her clan-brother needed strong women in his life to help tame his "Wild Horse" spirit, and having two this strong competing for him was bound to provide good motivation for training, if only from pure survival, as was the case when he "accidentally" incurred the wrath of Shampoo's cousin, the Tribal Enforcer.

Kasumi was not aware of the drift of her "clan-sister's" thoughts, her awareness being rather overly focused on another member of the group walking together from Tofu's clinic to the dojo. Ranma was hanging in the space between herself and Nabiki, whose arm was in a sling so as not to put too much stress on her stitches. Ranma seemed to want to support her sister and protect her at one and the same time, and he seemed so earnest in his endeavor that Kasumi hardly had the heart to tell him that her senses had assured her there were no enemies currently between them and the dojo.

Kasumi had to confess to herself that the presence of the boy who was in part her possible fianc e was affecting her in ways that utterly confused her senses. From almost the moment of their first meeting she had been drawn to him (or her) as if he were a nagging memory or a thought unrealized until the present moment. She knew him...or she had seen him somewhere before, either in her dreams or her thoughts in times unguarded. A Jedi sometimes had flashes and moments of either the past or the future, so perhaps this Ranma was a part of her destiny...a strong part to judge by the feelings he inspired in her, feelings all new and strange in her experience...very different feelings from what she shared with her father, mother and sisters, or even...

Shampoo...a cute girl from her childhood who had taught Kasumi as much about life as Kasumi had taught her, and in so doing they had become a LOT closer together than any mere "clan-sisters."

But this Ranma was different in a lot of other ways besides the feelings that he inspired in her. She could not really place why he was affecting her in this manner, even though he was spirited and handsome after a fashion, and for all his rougher qualities she found a rude nobility and raw courage that was admirable. The way he leaped to her sister's defense was certainly cause enough to hold him in higher esteem than the usual rough-and-tumble martial artists of her acquaintance. The fact that he affected her in ways no other boy or man ever had was altogether...disturbing.

Disturbing because strong emotions were something that she had been taught to be wary of for they could overmatch her training. As someone who had never truly known the taste of fear or even anger before her experience with the Nekoken (and what an experience that was!), she was concerned that having such feelings might disrupt her ability to operate and remain in the placid state necessary to working with the Force at higher levels. The fact that Ranma seemed more interested in her sister, Nabiki, was another source of great concern, the moreso because of what effect it had for Kasumi, feeling another emotion wholly new and alien to her experience...the emotion called envy!

By all rights she should have been happy for Nabiki in finding a boyfriend who quite obviously made her feel happy. She could sense the chemistry building between the two young teenagers, could feel the way it made Nabiki's normally dormant heart take wing, and a lonely Ranma had found in her a peer who could actually understand him. There was a different sort of chemistry with Shampoo, who seemed happy to regard Ranma as though he really were her brother, but with Nabiki...well...Ranma seemed to be unaware of just how deep his passions were extending towards Nabiki, who was VERY MUCH aware of her own deepening attraction, and for once she wasn't pulling away or hiding from her emotions with some clever subtlety or sly evasion.

This was the sort of behavior that should have cheered her for Nabiki's sake, but instead she found herself wanting to say something...to do something...but what she could not say. It was the most bizarre complex of emotions that she had ever before experienced, and for the life of her she could not even say why she was feeling the way she did. After all, the boy was three years younger than herself and barely even mature, lacking the most basic in social skills and driven to act impulsively with hardly any thought of the consequences brought on by his actions. He was used to verbal abuse in his training, to shutting down on the feminine aspects within his own nature. His emotions were a jumble of disorganized mish-mash, a virtual stew of positive and negative feelings over which he practiced only the most loosely focused of disciplines, the peculiar result of his intensive martial arts training that allowed him to concentrate on a target or goal but left him vulnerable to pushing and prodding by anyone who could skillfully push his buttons. Hardly the best recommendation for either a warrior or a boyfriend.

So why was she so interested? It made very little sense, and yet...when she looked into his eyes, when she heard his voice or felt his battle spirits harden, or when he was ready to extend himself in defense of another...she could not help but feel a certain thrill, much as she had felt when they first sparred together, when defeating him had taken a bit more effort than any other fighter of her experience. There was a sense of having to extend herself, of being tested beyond her normal limits, which excited her in a way no fight had ever inspired her, not even against Shampoo, with whom she had enjoyed some very...colorful matches.

It was as she was reflecting upon these matter that she heard the voice of the boy in question ask, "Ah...Kasumi?"

Surprised to be so hesitantly addressed, Kasumi turned to side-glance his way and said, "Yes, Ranma-kun?"

It hardly even dawned on her before she said this that she was speaking to him in an intimate tone of voice, or that Nabiki would catch the emotion of surprise and expectation her softly worded reply would carry, but the words were out and as loud as a declaration. There would have to be more words exchanged as a follow-up to this, especially if she was to mollify her sister's inevitable resentment over a perceived territorial intrusion.

"This training I'm supposed to get with you..." again a slight hesitation on his part, then Ranma continued, "What's it really all about?"

"About the Force?" Kasumi replied, "It will be difficult...you will have to learn a lot of things all over like a beginner, and the way your father has trained you..." for a moment Kasumi felt her resolve slip as a note of real anger crept in, but then she allowed that emotion to flow out of her like water, "There will be much that needs undoing. You have been taught to fuel your actions with rage...you must learn to let go of such negative emotions and allow other feelings to rise to the surface. It will take much time, but I think you have what it takes to manage through the difficult portions."

"What Oneechan means is that you can't allow hate and anger to cloud your judgement or control your actions, Ranma-kun," Nabiki clarified with just a hint of wary suspicion in her voice, "The Dark Side feeds on those negative emotions...it draws you in, it lures and tempts you with the promise of easy, quick gratification, but then you become a slave to these dark passions and it becomes like an addiction. You have to balance the negative with the positive and free yourself of doubt and worry so that the Force can flow freely through you without resistance, the better to achieve total mind and body integration."

"Oh yeah?" Ranma said, "Then what about your sister, Akane? If getting mad is such a bad thing then what's her deal?"

"Ah..." Kasumi sighed, "That is a difficult question to answer, which makes it a very important question."

"Neechan is a bit of a spoiled brat who's used to getting her way on everything," Nabiki said more bluntly, "And you showed her up big-time, once in the field, the other time at central stage."

"You mean because she was clumsy and relied too much on that Force stuff she's gotta take it out on me?" Ranma countered, "I took my share of lumps too, and do you see me complaining?"

"But you're used to this 'rough-and-tumble' stuff," Nabiki reasoned, "Akane isn't, in fact she's more like a..."

"Neechan," Kasumi chided.

"I was going to say Klutz, Kasumi," Nabiki said a bit defensively, "Don't forget that I've been watching her go downhill the last few months while you were still on your training mission. Her discipline is starting to erode, and for us that can be extremely dangerous because with great power comes great temptations, yadda, yadda, yadda. The thing is, she's used to having her own way in most affairs, and when she doesn't get it right instantly she starts to berate herself, and then she becomes frustrated, and then she gets angry."

"I had no idea that she was becoming such a problem," Kasumi remarked, "I'll have to speak with her about it..."

"Would you, Oneechan?" Nabiki asked, "Because she's all but stopped listening to me. We've got this sibling rivalry thing going on between us, and since she's Daddy's little Princess and I'm the family realist, I tend to be the wet blanket on her parade, so even when I am giving her good advice she'd rather bull on ahead and do things her way. It's just like her efforts at cooking...Momma does what she can to carefully teach her, but from the way I hear it, Momma had good coaching herself and had to take things one step at a time. Akane wants to jump ahead and improve on a recipe before she's given herself time enough to learn the basics."

"That don't make no sense at all," Ranma shook his head in dismay, "Didn't anybody ever teach her that to build a house you need a strong foundation? Every martial artist has to go through the steps to master a new system...you just can't leap on ahead until you can execute the basic maneuvers."

"May this one volunteer her opinion?" Shampoo spoke up.

"Please do, clan-sister," Kasumi responded.

"This one has not yet met the person whom you are describing," the purple haired Amazon replied, "But it sounds much as if she and this one have much in common. She too had to learn the basics and she was not always a very patient student, as Big Sister might care to remember?"

"I see," Kasumi mused, "Yes...I do think I see a parallel here. Thank you for reminding me, Shampoo."

"This one is grateful that she had such a patient teacher," Shampoo replied, "You are clan-sister to this one, and thus your sisters are my sisters by adoption, so she is my sister too, and if there is anything which this one may do to help out..."

"I thank you for the offer," Kasumi smiled, "And perhaps I may take you up on this."

"You are welcome," Shampoo smiled, "Whatever this one may do to repay her debt to you, she will gladly accept as her challenge."

Nabiki looked from the incredibly beautiful Chinese girl in the pale Cheosong to her older sister and back again, feeling the radiating glow of mutual appreciation and lingering fondness, which of course caused her to lift an eyebrow then Oh-So-casually remark, "Soooo...Sis? You two get along pretty well for a couple of old friends who haven't seen each other in a while. What's the rest of the story here? Were you two an item?"

"Neechan," Kasumi chided, but none the less her cheeks were flushing.

"This one does not quite understand the reference," Shampoo said, "But Big Sister and this one are very...good friends. If you wish to know our current status, we are...detached but still friendly. This one has been pursuing interests of her own since parting company with her clan-sister...and she is pleased to see that her Big Sister is blossoming nicely into new relationships that promise to yield a bounteous harvest."

"Ah..." Kasumi's face was now thoroughly crimson.

"Oh?" Nabiki's eyes narrowed as she murmured to herself, "We'll see about that..."

"Uh...guys?" Ranma blinked, glancing from one party to the next while clearly not having a clue about what was being discussed here.

"Little Brother is curious to know why Big Sister is shy around her new student?" Shampoo smirked in a more-than-suggestive manner, "Keep going as you are, Ranma...you will find out soon enough if this one reads matters correctly."

"Hey..." Nabiki's frown deepened.

"But seriously," Shampoo continued, "When it comes to learning the ways of the Force, you could do a lot worse than to study under Kasumi. Big Sister lives and breathes the Way, and if you dedicate yourself-as this one has-to becoming more like her, then you will go far in becoming more attuned to your surroundings."

"Shampoo," Kasumi said, "I told you that you should never try to be like anyone but yourself..."

"Exactly," Shampoo agreed, "Many times this one has asked herself, 'What would Big Sister do?' and always is same answer, 'Big Sister would do as Big Sister, Shampoo will do as Shampoo,' which means that we are the same and yet very different as people. This one believes that to be like Big Sister she must be more like herself, at one with all life and hating no one. Many times this has calmed her restless spirit when this one has been troubled, and this one believes that this has made of her a better person."

"Hmmm," Nabiki mused, "Sounds like you made quite a convert during your tour of China, Sis."

"Ah...well..." Kasumi blushed again, "It was a...very interesting time...one of many that I've had during my travels..."

"Oh really?" it was Nabiki's turn to grin, "Then can we expect more of your old flames to come dropping in on us in the future?"

"Ah...well..." Kasumi actually had to think about that one, "I'm...not really sure. Always in motion is the future..."

"Tell me about it," Nabiki sniffed, thinking to herself that some very interesting times were ahead for the denizens of Nerima if this Shampoo character was even a sample.

"Guess I'm gonna have to get started on the basics," Ranma said, "I wanna learn all I can about this Force thing so I won't get caught napping again, like with Ucchan."

"You'll have time to learn, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said, "If you have patience. You must first discard Anger, Hate and Fear, learn to allow those emotions to flow from you like water, leaving yourself as light as the air and free from earthly constrictions. The hardest thing to do is to let go of the self, to allow the wall separating you from your surroundings to gradually fade away until it has vanished, and thus to open yourself to the wonders of the life-presence that exists all around you. A Jedi walks freely because he or she is humble and does not attempt to bend the will of others to suit her own needs. A Jedi will act when there is need and allow the Force to flow through them like a vessel but does not do so from a sense of ego. A Jedi acts for the sake of life and treats life as sacred...unless the life in question is of the Dark Side and exists for the sole purpose of harming another."

"I don't really get it," Ranma admitted, "But I'll try."

"Try not, young Padawan," Nabiki said with a smile, "Only do...or do not do. There is no 'try.'"

"Is true," Shampoo agreed, "Live in the moment, surrender your doubts about the past and future, little Brother. The present is all that matters...the past is the past and the future will take care of itself."

"Something I don't get here, though," Ranma frowned, "What do you guys mean when you keep using the word 'Jedi?'"

"Jedi is a title given to an adept who has fully mastered the ways of the Force," Kasumi explained, "I myself am not yet fully rated as a Jedi, but Mistress Trieste assures me that I am nearing my graduation. Once I am a fully trained Jedi Knight I will be worthy of passing along the flame of my knowledge and understanding of the Force...but first I must endure my trials to demonstrate my abilities so that I am truly worthy to be called a Jedi."

"That's right, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said, "The Jedi are a pretty ancient order, and presently Trieste is the only one who can rightfully bear that title. Akane and me are Force-Adepts. We've learned to harness the power of the Force in our lives and treat it as a powerful ally, though our understanding of its true nature is no where as intense as with Kasumi."

"This one has too studied the ways of the Force," Shampoo added, "But she would not yet presume to rate herself as worthy of being called a Jedi. Perhaps in time, when she has fully mastered all that she can learn from her great-  
grandmother...and if Elder Trieste would choose to share even more of her knowledge with this one, who would be most grateful for the guidance..."

"You've come a lot farther than you seem to know, Little Sister," Kasumi smiled, then added, "But don't feel disheartened about being a novice to this new discipline, Ranma. You are very strong with the Force already and all you need is to train in its usage and one day you, too, may become a Master."

"How about explaining that to me," Ranma asked, "I've studied the mastery of Chi, but just what is this 'Force' stuff about anyway?"

"The Force is an energy field generated by all life, Ranma-kun," Nabiki explained, "Grass, trees, plants, animals, even the bacteria in our bodies and the people who walk all around us. It's in the very rock, stones and the dirt beneath our feet, it permeates everything and binds the whole Universe together."

"Without the Force there would be no life," Kasumi added, "In its raw state it exists dormant in the inanimate objects we encounter. The field is alive, however, and intelligent. If you listen you can hear its voice, the humming that is the music of the stars and planets. It is invisible yet you can feel it within you and all around you...flowing, ever in motion like the tides of the seas...and without it we could not even be here to talk about these subjects, for the very ability perceive reality and discuss its myriad levels and planes of existence is a result of self-conscious reflection. The Force is the reality that shapes our lives and destinies and it is more real to us than flesh and substance. Luminous beings are we, not crude matter that is dull and lifeless. All life exists in a state of Flux, but it is the Force that makes it whole and allows us to be everywhere and in everything at one and the same instant."

"That does sound pretty deep," Ranma scratched behind the back of his head, "Can't say I get all that right now, but I'll try and...ah...I'll...remember what you said."

"Not bad," Nabiki grinned, "You're learning already. You really are a quick study"

"Heh, a Saotome specialty," Ranma mused, "Only it seems to have skipped a generation with Pop..."

"Ranma?" a new voice asked, "Ranma...is that you?"

"Huh?" Ranma and the rest of the party came to an abrupt halt, having finally arrived at the gates of the Tendo dojo. There standing at the gates were their assembled parents, chief among whom was Nodoka, who stood beside her now panic-  
stricken husband as if they were about to depart from the Tendo household.

His mother was looking right at him now and from the way in which she was studying his features he became instantly aware that he was in male form rather than female.

"Ah...Mom?" he hesitantly asked.

"Ranma..." it was amazing how fast a woman wearing a kimono could move to cover the distance between them, but all at once Ranma found himself embraced in the warm arms of the woman who had given him birth, who was sobbing into his shoulder, "Oh...my son! My Son! How you have grown! You look so manly!"

"Ah...Mom?" Ranma repeated again, very awkwardly and belatedly putting his arms around her to return the hug...and finding the experience rather more pleasant until his hand encountered the cloth-bound object that she wore across her back. That was a very pointed (he winced) reminder of the promise his father had gotten them both into and he swallowed very thickly as thoughts of his curse rose to the surface.

"Oh...Ranma...are you real? Is this a dream?" Nodoka sighed before ease back to study his features, finding that her son was actually a couple of centimeters taller than herself, which brought a smile to her lips as she remarked, "You are growing up so nicely, and here you are with your two fianc es...how wonderful! And...who is this?" she turned her head and for a moment looked puzzled before gasping, "Comb-san? Is that you?"

"Kho-Hom?" Shampoo actually blinked at this, "Excuse this one for asking...but how is it that you know the name of this one's mother?"

"Comb is your mother?" Nodoka said in surprise, "Why...yes! I see the resemblance immediately. We met a long time ago, back when your mother looked much like you do...well, never mind, that's not important now. The fact is that you are here in Japan, and such a fine young lady you are, such excellent manners and..." she paused before adding, "Are you another one of Ranma's girlfriends?"

"Girl friends?" again Shampoo blinked.

"Ah...Mom," Ranma swallowed, "This is Shampoo...we met in China and..."

"She is Ranma-kun's clan sister," Kasumi clarified, "They met and fought in Shampoo's village and..."

"And you defeated her?" Nodoka marveled, "Which means that you're now obligated to marry my son? Oh...Ranma! You make your mother so very proud!"

"H-Huh?" Ranma reacted, "W-What...?"

"To think...my son has four fianc es," Nodoka beamed proudly, "Four beautiful young women who are willing to compete for the honor of being your wife, and any one of whom would make any mother a wonderful daughter! Oh, I am so happy!"

Ranma was still puzzling this one out when a less-than-pleasantly familiar voice said, "What has the pervert gotten himself into this time?"

"Akane-chan," Trieste chided as she and her youngest student arrived to join the gathering by the Tendo gates, "I take it you have done something praiseworthy, Ranma-kun? Your mother seems very pleased with you indeed."

"But...ah..." Ranma was searching for a way to verbally extricate himself from the obvious confusion that his mother was experiencing as in his mind the only real engagements he had were to one of the two Tendo sisters, but before he could think what to say a hand clamped itself over his mouth and he found Nabiki leaning in close with a pleasant enough smile that would have sent stronger men reaching for their wallets.

"That's your son, Saotome-san...a real stud of a guy, has to beat them off with a stick and all that, and he's definitely manly!"

"But..." Shampoo started to say, "This one is sworn Oath-sister and not..."

"You don't need to say anything more," Nodoka beamed, "I've heard all about those rules you Amazons live by. Kami knows your mother used to throw them in my face often enough. Ah well...Ranma, you choose wisely when selecting a bride. I can see that any one of these girls would be pleased as punch to call you her husband...and who is this?"

"Who, me?" Akane blinked, "I'm not marrying the pervert! Find somebody-  
ah...who is that?" she said as she took in Shampoo with a slow glance.

"Akane-chan," Kasumi replied, "This is my clan-sister from China, Xian-Pu of the Joketsuzoku."

"Shampoo?" Akane blinked again, unable to help wondering if the girl in question was for real or if she had some kind of implants...

"And you are the one they call 'Scarlet?'" Shampoo returned with a pleasant smile in Akane's direction.

"Ah..." Akane replied, and promptly colored like her namesake.

"Mom?" Ranma decided on a different tack after Nabiki removed her hand from his mouth, "Where are you and Pop going at the minute?"

"Your father and I are going back to our home," Nodoka said proudly, "We've made an arrangement with the Tendos to let you remain here for a time so that you can continue your training with Sensei Trieste. You'll be sleeping by yourself in the room you and your father have been sharing and spending time with your future fianc es. I hope soon enough that you'll be able to choose which one to make official, though I wouldn't mind having all of them marry you, if that were still legal."

"M-M-M-Marry...?" Ranma blinked, then added, "All of them?"

"Oh yes," Nodoka nodded, "In Samurai days no woman had to be left out or disappointed, but unfortunately we live in a much different era. Your father and I will come to visit you as many times as can be practical, but I look forward to the day when you can move back to live in your old room at our house, hopefully bringing your bride-to-be with you, and I can't wait to greet them properly as my daughter."

"Sounds swell...Mom," Nabiki shot a questioning look to her actual mother, who smiled back with a knowing smirk that helped clarify a great deal for her, so like the clever girl that she was she said, "And that should help us all to adjust to the recent changes that have been made in all our lives...isn't that nice, Ranma-kun?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, only to see his father hold up a sign that read, "We've got to keep the curses our little secret for now, so just nod your head and agree, Boy!" to which Ranma replied, "Oh."

"Wonderful," Nodoka beamed radiantly, looking from Kasumi to Nabiki to Shampoo before adding, "I look forward to spending time with all of you to learn more about you as bridal candidates. I can tell already that I'm going to love each one of you like a daughter, and it will be difficult to choose. Until then be well...and take good care of my son. Now...come along, Husband, we have a bus to catch if we're to make it home before nightfall."

"Yes dearest," Genma swallowed, taking his wife by the arm as the two of them walked off down the street together.

"Whew," Nabiki sighed, glancing at her mother, "Now that was fast thinking!"

"It was the best that your father and I come up with on our own," Kimiko responded, "I just hope your father can manage to conceal the truth about his own curse until we have time enough to talk your mother into accepting what you turn into."

"Indeed," Soun replied, "But I wouldn't worry too much about Saotome...he has the best survivor reflexes of anyone I've ever known, myself included...another unfortunate legacy of... the Master."

"Excuse please," Shampoo urged, "This one wishes to know how it is that she could be mistaken for the Airen of her own clan-brother?"

"Is that what this is all about?" Akane asked, then studied the purple-haired girl more intently, "You mean you're not...interested?"

"This one...Shampoo...is already seeing someone who matters very much to her," Shampoo replied, "Though this one does suppose that she should consider it an honor that Ranma's mother thinks her worthy of marriage status. This one does wonder, though, of what she knows of this one's mother..."

"You're seeing somebody?" Akane looked crestfallen, "What a shame. Will you be staying here for a while then?"

"This one does not presently have a place to stay," Shampoo replied, "But Big Sister has offered to allow her to stay for the night in the dojo."

"Is that all right with you, Father, Mother?" Kasumi asked.

"Well I...suppose there wouldn't be any harm in allowing a beautiful girl to stay here..." Soun remarked uneasily.

"And after all, you are Comb's daughter," Kimiko grinned, "In a way that kind of makes you family already. I'll tell you what...if you'd like to help me out in the kitchen I'll be pleased to tell you a story about how we met your mother when we weren't much older than you are."

"Eh?" Soun reacted, looking suddenly very nervous.

"Can this one?" Shampoo grinned, "That is a very...generous arrangement!"

"Well then," Trieste smiled, "With all of that sorted out, shall we go in and get comfortable? It's not too much longer until dinner."

"Indeed," Kimiko smiled broadly, "Let's."

As the family file into the Tendo compound, however, a winged figure perched on a distant tree branch scowled darkly and said, "So that's where you are, Shampoo! You're living under the same roof as that...Saotome! Well, you won't have to wait much further...I'll come back to rescue you just as soon as I am able, and then I'll deal with the likes of that Ranma creep and...Kasumi..."

He breathed the latter word with infinite regret and longing, knowing what his Master's instructions would be for the older girl, who was steeped in the ways of the Jedi and thus was an enemy to be reckoned. He had not forgotten the girl who had stolen his Shampoo away from him then left her scrounging in the dirt like so much cast-off laundry, and yet with that memory came a certain wistful remembrance of how graceful and regal she had been, such a kind-hearted person and not the sort you would expect in a warrior even half so formidable.

With no further thought than this he launched himself into the air, spreading his wings wide as he caught a breeze that would easily carry him to the city limits, intending to make his report to his master, and all the while thinking dark thoughts of vengeance upon the two who had wronged him, only one of whom generated any real sort of anger. Time would tell when he would have his day, but the thought of having Kasumi had his mercy would be enough to sustain him on many a long, cold and lonely evening yet to follow...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Loose Engagements: shadowmane

Think life has gotten a wee bit confusing for poor Ranma and the sisters Tendo? Read on as his training begins anew while the Sith plot their dark plans of vengeance in: "The Edge of Wetness," or "How many Fianc es does it take to change a lightbulb?" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	10. Chapter 10

JediKasumi10

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim R Bader &amp;  
Brandon Kelley

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and George Lucas)

Chapter Ten.

Force and Counter Force

The crisis with Nodoka momentarily averted, Kasumi begins to train Ranma under the guidance of her mentor, Trieste. Meanwhile Nabiki is tending to her injuries and feeling dejected over losing to Ukyo, and possibly to Kasumi in the romance competition between them and their mutual iinazuke...

Akane has been showing signs of losing control over her temper but convinces Trieste that she has not yet gone over to the Dark Side. She has, however, demonstrated a budding interest in the Sith apprentice, Ukyo Kuonji, and has sounded out the girl for a tentative "friendship" (IE assignation) in spite of knowing full well that Ukyo is in service to Darth Purge, the enemy Sith Lord who has vowed to destroy all remnants of the Jedi...

However, Shampoo's arrival has further complicated the picture and has also drawn Akane's interest. Shampoo is the oath-sister to both Kasumi and Ranma and has received Jedi training and considers Kasumi to be her role model. Hovering in the background, however is a Jusenkyo-cursed Mousse, whose winged "Angel-like"  
form gives him the ability to scout at great height and range,  
and he is under the mistaken impression that Kasumi and Ranma are "obstacles" to his dark ambitions, and being Sith trained, he has set his sights on defeating Shampoo and winning her as his bride in the service of the Sith Lord...

Night had fallen on the Kuno estate, and all was quiet. Only the slight rustling of leaves in the breeze broke the absolute stillness of the grounds, which suited Tatewaki Kuno just fine as he sat on the grounds meditating on recent events, namely the arrival of one Saotome Ranma. While aloud he would admit to nothing but loathing and maybe the smallest bit of pity for the newcomer, (He still shuddered as he tried to envision anyone engaged to Nabiki) inwardly, he was a mass of conflicted emotions, having tested the youth and found him a formidable fighter, if not yet to the standards of the Jedi.

(The sheer audacity of the cur is astounding!) he told himself for the hundredth time that evening, (The knave has dared to affront the personage of the 'Blue Thunder'! And the insults!) He gritted his teeth as he promised himself, (My revenge shall be swift and certain indeed, I but give the wretch his time to greet his makers in a manner worthy of one who has Samurai ancestors.)

Having decided that, He took up his ever-present bokken, performed a Zarei and assumed the sankakudai stance. Hesitating a moment, he began his nightly katas, his mind drifting to the recent battle with Ranma.

(Rude and uncouth as the boor is), Kuno mused, (I must admit, if simply to myself, that he is indeed a skilled warrior. My skills have grown in both of my disciplines and yet he still found a way to test me to my limits.)

As he thought these thoughts Kuno executed a series of precise and expert motions that would have dealt savage injury, even death to a series of imagined opponents, the wooden sword in his hand moving like a thing alive, less a weapon and more an extension of his being.

(However), he thought as he continued his routine, his mind like a pool of rippling water as he executed a flawless series of strokes that would disarm and disable even a highly skilled opponent, (Even with a decided lack of suitable challenges to my skill, I must face the possibility that my training has stagnated. If even a lowborn dog like him can avoid my thrusts then there must be a fatal flaw in my technique that I have yet to discern...a concept most troubling indeed...)

Kuno's mouth twisted with distaste at the thought, (Until now only the beauteous Kasumi and the noble Akane Tendo have alone challenged my skill and have surpassed me. In many ways I am indebted to them both, for without their encouragement and close association I would never have progressed as far as I have in the study of my Nampo. This mysterious "Force" that they have embodied in our matches has been an inspiration to me indeed.. And yet, the more I advance, the farther behind me I leave my closest competition. The sisters Tendo alone have been my equals in the fighting arts, no one else until now has been my equal. And so, The 'Blue Thunder' is reduced to instigating battles with women to keep his edge. I must train, and yet, at the same time, I am pushing the one I love away from me by these tactics. Truly this is a tragic irony indeed...so perhaps I should view this Ranma as a blessing in disguise, an enemy whom I can at last test myself against without reservation..)

Kuno smiled slightly at that. He was well aware of what Akane, no, what the school itself thought of him, a self-righteous eccentric living in the past or some bygone era. Slowly, sheets of perspiration began to seep through his skin as he continued his workout. (They think me mad for my chosen lifestyle), he mused to himself, trying to see himself as his classmates saw him, (They may well be right, for I may be mad to prefer the civility and courtliness that is so lacking this rude, coarse age in which we live. My devotion to the samurai arts is without precedent for them, they who have seen this sullied modern age. But, I am not as devoted as I should be. Fighting with women is dishonorable, but lo! I have no recourse. Except perhaps... Kuno's face took on a different light as he renewed his pondering of the battle with Ranma.

(Even Musashi has been bested honorably), he thought, (He would not have turned down the chance to hone his skills against such a nemesis. Perhaps the villainous Saotome will be that nemesis for me. I match my skill against his, determine where I am wanting, and seek to improve on those areas, and surely, this will lead to his eventual defeat. Thus Saotome himself may well contribute to his own undoing...)

The Irony of that thought was so delicious that it brought an actual smile to his lips and he came to a momentary pause in his katas to reflect upon this concept. (Yes, this could work out very nicely...I must remember every nuance of that fight and adjust my attacks accordingly. Saotome could clearly see the flaws in my attack, I must make certain that our next match goes not so easily as he may now expect, thinking he has taken my true measure...)

Having decided on a course of action, Kuno resumed his katas, slowly divesting himself of conscious thought, [though some would have said that this was not such an overly long process] Slowly but surely, his connection to the force deepened until he began to glow faintly. He had the look of a man preparing himself for a nightmare, and eventually, it arrived.

A woman's voice echoed from the woods of the Kuno estate, startling him out of his practice.

"Tachi-chan?" The voice was high and musical, echoing from the real world and straight from the deepest regions of Kuno's own memory. He turned slowly, his handsome face a mixture of dread and longing.

"Mother?" he whispered, seeing an slender figure in a kimono come into view, a regal and modestly handsome for all her years and dressed in a formal kimono. Kuno saw his mother, Hitomi Kuno, smile at him, albeit a bit sadly, a single tear tracing down a pale cheek, barely seen in the darkness of the dimly lit garden.

"You seem troubled, my son," Hitome observed quietly, "Has something happened that has affected the Wa of your spirit?"

"I...had an interesting encounter today, Mother," Kuno came to stand at ease, breathing slowly to restore himself to normal, "A new boy in our class, one Saotome Ranma, gave me a bit more of a workout than I was expecting from a junior classmate."

He saw a peculiar sparkle of interest in his mother's eyes and she hesitantly asked, "Did you say...Saotome? How...interesting."

"Eh?" Kuno turned to regard his mother fully, "You know that name, Mother?"

"I...knew a young man once who belonged to that clan," Hitome said in curious amusement, "He was...as you say...an 'interesting' fellow, always getting into trouble of one sort or another, a good fighter dedicated to the martial arts but a bit lagging in other areas of study. I wonder...could the two of them be related?"

"I would not know, Mother," Kuno replied, "I only met the cur...I mean...the fellow the other day. All I know is that he is staying under the roof of the Tendo family and that...he is...engaged to the sister named Nabiki," Kuno could not quite hide his distaste as he pronounced the name of that particular Tendo.

"Still, it would be interesting to know if the father of this boy is the same man that I remember," Hitome mused, "I sometimes wonder what he would look like these days...ah well...no sense dwelling on the past or wondering such things as what life would be like if I had married him instead of your father..."

"MOTHER?" Kuno could not even disguise his dismay as he reacted to that unexpected statement.

"Ah...yes, well," Hitome smiled, "As I said, it was a very long time ago, and the boy had a certain...charm with the ladies. I never could quite explain the attraction to your father."

"You mean this...Lothario did tempt you in your innocent youth?" Tatewaki was offended by the notion of anyone approaching his mother in such an...improper manner, "The Cad! No wonder this Ranma has swayed the affections of even a cold hearted fish like Nabiki..."

"So he has charmed one of Kimiko's daughters," Hitome mused, "Interesting...and I take it that this is the girl who borrows money from you on a regular basis?"

Kuno's expression was stiff as he replied, "I do not...loan money to her...it is a bit more complicated than this. I have...on occasions...been prompted by circumstances to hire the services of the mercenary for...trivial pursuits of a somewhat personal nature..."

"You mean to acquire tokens of the girl who really interests you," Hitome said shrewdly, "The older child, Tendo Kasumi?"

Tatewaki could not immediately reply to that, but he was grateful for the dim illumination that prevented his mother from seeing that his cheeks were burning.

"You are like an open book to me, my little Tachi," Hitome said warmly, "I know how your mind works and I can see how much her mere mention affects you. She has been gone from Nerima and out of your life for a year and yet still you still think fondly towards her."

"She is...an exceptional person, Mother..." Tatewaki began to say.

"I know that well," Hitome replied, "I still owe a debt of giri to her Sensei, the lady Trieste, for saving my life years ago when I...was not entirely myself. I dare say that life would be very different for all of us if she had not happened upon me during my hour of deepest crisis. It was the lady Trieste who helped bring your father and I closer together...and I well remember the inquisitive child who was ever at her side.. It would please me greatly if-by some miracle-our houses were to be united, but that is not what I came here to say to you. Lady Trieste has spoken to me today...and she made mention of your having instigated some extracurricular activities with your fellow classmates...all centered around the youngest Tendo child, Akane."

"Er...I can explain that one, Mother," Tatewaki blanched, hoping he did not sound too nervous in his responses, "It came to my attention that...Tendo Akane was feeling somewhat disheartened during the long absence of her older sister. Knowing how much she enjoys fighting and testing herself against a worthy opponent, I took to challenging her in order to sharpen my own skills and was amazed by her prowess, for though she be little she is fierce as any Tigress."

"And the other boys who challenge her every morning?" Hitome asked.

"Tendo Akane...is very charismatic to the young men of our school," Tatewaki replied, "There was much spurious talk that sullied her reputation, and to curb the spite of those she spurned as weaklings I did issue a challenge that held that no man should approach her who was not willing to give her battle. To my great surprise many of the sporting clubs did arise to the challenge, and before long it took on the shape of a game in which they would issue challenges and be one-by-one defeated by the object of their affections. Soon the cowardly dogs were ganging up on the poor girl, mistakenly believing that they would have greater strength in their numbers. I, of course, was most appalled by this ungentlemanly action, but to their surprise and my amazement the girl proved more than equal to this challenge and could single handedly defeat an entire horde of these undisciplined rabble. Being the sport that I am, I naturally allowed them to make fools of themselves, then would step forward at the last to offer a proper challenge, just so Akane would not be feeling too disappointed and neglected."

"I see," Hitome smiled in such a way that Kuno could almost make out its predatory nature, "But of course you have no interest in this girl...in fact I was given to understand that she has no interest in young men at all, that her preferences run in a different direction."

"A sordid lie besmirching her noble character," Kuno frowned, "None but a base villain would give credit to such thinking! Who does that unworthy lot think that they offer gossip about? My own sweet sister?"

Hitome did not smile at this and in fact was less than amused as she responded, "Tachi...I have told you many times not to speak ill about your sister. Kodachi has been away in Europe for the past year and is doing very well in her studies, or so I have been told by her Headmistress."

"I...apologize for my thoughtless words, Mother," Kuno bowed his head, "It was...unworthy of me, it shall not be repeated."

"Good," Hitome smiled once again, "Because I have good news...Kodachi is coming home to pay us a visit. She'll be arriving by plane next week and I expect you to greet her properly as befits a daughter of the noble house of Kuno."

"Kodachi is coming here?" this time Kuno could not keep himself from expressing his dismay at this announcement, "But I thought the family lawyers..."

"Oh, we've managed to put that old bit of news firmly behind us," Hitome assured him, "There will be no...legal complications for Kodachi to mar her return, and besides...I hear that she has been doing very well thanks to her rehabilitation."

"Oh...wonderful," Tatewaki said without any real enthusiasm, silently vowing to himself that he would go on a hunger strike for the length of his sister's visit, if only to be certain that no unwanted substances found their way into his system.

"Cheer up, Tachi," Hitome said, "Kodachi really has changed for the better, you'll see. She's majoring in Botany this year and can work wonders with plants...she'll be helping your father out with his experiments in the greenhouse, just like in the old days."

"Which reminds me," Tatewaki said dryly, "Is father working late again? I did not notice him around dinner."

Hitome lost her smile and did not even pretend to be happy about the matter, "Your father called and said he would be late...another damned business meeting-  
-and no, before you say it, I have had him investigated. Turns out he isn't seeing that new blonde secretary from America on the sly...and he would not dare cheat on me at any rate. He knows he can never hope to effectively lie to me, like he did in the old days, and that if I were to choose to leave him it would bring great dishonor to the name of Kuno, to say nothing of what it would cost him in a divorce court."

"That is good to hear," Tatewaki sighed, "I am...sorry if I overreacted in my suspicions, Mother, but given Father's past..."

"You don't need to say a word," Hitome assured him, "I understand completely."

"But...how can you be so calm about it all?" Tatewaki asked, "He once drove you near to the point of suicide and madness..."

"True," Hitome replied, "But that was before I learned that there was another way to live my life than to always be in your father's shadow. Thanks to the friendship of Trieste, I was able to rebuild myself from within and get my life started anew, once I learned what I did about the discipline of Force manipulation."

"Force manipulation, Mother?" Tatewaki blinked.

"You know what I mean," his mother explained, "The discipline that Trieste has been teaching all of her students, the reason why they are all three such powerful fighters. I did explain to you once about the ways of the Jedi..."

"You told me it was an ancient order of Samurai to which Trieste belongs and is the sole remaining Master," Kuno responded, "She has lived with the Tendo family and trained their three daughters in this mysteriously mystical order, and I have witnessed the results of that training first-hand on many an occasion."

"Trieste explained much about her origins to me," Hitome said, "Things that must remain a secret for now, as I promised I would not divulge them to another. What I can tell you is that the Force is the living embodiment of life itself and is a powerful ally to those who become attuned to its presence. It allows one to perceive knowledge and events before they happen, anticipate one's enemies before they can act and to move objects at a great distance. I myself know only a little of their potential, and that mostly from counseling sessions with Trieste-san. It is the power that allowed her to sense when I was in the grip of a deep melancholy that was causing me to act just a little bit crazy. You do remember what I was like before I began to train in meditation under her calm and patient guidance?"

Without meaning to Kuno felt a slight shudder escape him. He could well remember the terror of his childhood, the sense that his mother could turn on him, go from loving, gentle parent to screeching monster without any proper warning. Many was the time that he had been locked in a cupboard or had taken refuge in his room to hide from one of her rages. Kodachi had been nearly paralyzed with fear of her mother's demanding obsessions with the mastery of gymnastics and to this day felt traumatized by the ordeal that had shaped the early years of their existence.

That their mother had been relatively calm and stable for the past seven years was something of a minor miracle, a miracle their family owed to Trieste's intervention. One day she was just suddenly there, like a shining knight coming to their rescue while their mother had fallen into a deep and all-consuming depression, tormented by fears of what her own conduct had been doing to her children and the devastating discovery that her husband had been unfaithful. In Hitome's mind only death cold atone for the dishonor that she was faced with, and so she chose to take the path of a true daughter of a long and illustrious line of Samurai by performing ritual hara-kiri, and with a tanto-knife poised so near to her throat that it had left a slight scar at its intended point of entry.

But a hand had stilled the blade and forced it away from its target. Hitome's plight had somehow called out to the perceptive Jedi Knight, who had somehow read the other woman's intention to take her own life in time to act to prevent it, and with her was a twelve-year old Kasumi, very open eyed yet somehow knowing when Tatewaki and Kodachi had encountered her a short time after they had gotten their mother to some much-needed medical attention.

For this act of mercy the Kuno family owed a debt of gratitude to the Jedi, for Hitome had not only recovered from her ordeal but had grown into a stronger woman because of Trieste's guidance. The Jedi had also forced Kuno's father to confront and admit to the results of his own irresponsible actions, and she had forced him away from an addiction to the very medicinal plants with which he was experimenting, helping him become a better (if far from ideal) husband and father-figure for the wife and children who needed him so greatly.

More than this, the experience had also awakened in Hitome a renewed sense of herself and her own abilities and led to an increasing fascination with horticulture and plant life so that she had learned to practice the ancient art of Bonsai, the crafting of miniature trees and shrubs into artistically sculpted wonders whose aesthetic glory was only matched by the obvious love and attention to detail that they embodied. Hitome had also taken to caring for the roses on their estate and took a greater interest in her husband's Botany experiments so that they could have more in common with one another [and also she could spy on him to make sure he did not fool around any more with Black Rose extracts, the source of his initial addiction].

In all other respects Hitome had learned to rely more on the servants who were employed within their mansion to handle the day-to-day chores that had once driven her to so much distraction. Having learned to ease back on the pressure that she brought to bear upon Kodachi, Tatewaki's younger sister had herself blossomed into a much nicer and well-rounded young woman [even if she were a bit too bratty and uppity for Kuno's liking].

Too bad Kodachi proved to be a bit too...precocious in her off-duty hours, and something of a mischief maker, which was why the family had been forced to send her to that academy in Paris...

"And," Kuno hesitantly began to ask, "By studying this art you achieved an enlightenment that overcame your former...distraction?"

"The Force is the essence of cosmic harmony and enlightenment, Tachi," Hitome replied, "It is what the martial arts aspire towards, complete mind and body integration. I have never soared high enough in my meditations to achieve more than a fleeting glimpse of its awesome majesty and the complete wonder it inspires in those who do perceive it. A very few gifted individuals can achieve a holistic integration of the mind and consciousness into a full awareness of its presence and its wonders. You yourself are sensitive to this energy field...you have felt it when in the company of the one whom you desire, and there is a good chance that you may one day accomplish that which I could not achieve on my own and become as one with the Force. Think of it as a gift more than a birthright, you can perceive the Force so you could one day become a Master, like the Jedi."

"To be as one with this...power you describe?" Kuno seemed unusually thoughtful, "Perhaps you are right, Mother. It certainly does bear further investigation."

Hitome leaned forward on tip-toes and kissed the taller boy on the cheek, "When you do I could not be any prouder of you than I am at this moment, my Son. You have already taken your first step into a greater world...and who can say where your road will ultimately take you?"

"I will...think well on what you have said, Mother," Tatewaki replied, "And for your wise council I do thank you."

Hitome smiled and then returned into the house while two sets of watchful eyes observed the younger Kuno returning to his solitary meditations. The one, very tall and scaly, flicked his tongue out as he considered the matter before him, then-perceiving the restlessness of the other boy at his side-hissed, "Well?"

"Where is it written down that we have to recruit every Moron in Japan as your apprentice?"

"You are including yourself in that description?" Purge asked aloud, receiving a snort of derision at the suggestion.

"You know that Kuonji and me are the only ones worthy of the training, Boss," Taro responded with typical arrogance, "The Pig and Duck Boy aren't worth much more than cannon fodder at best, and neither one of them could stand up in a fight with either the Jedi or her apprentice. So what makes this guy any different from those two?"

"I sense a strong convergence in this one," Purge nodded towards Kuno, "On his own he has managed to achieve quite impressive results for one not schooled as either a Sith or a Jedi. You may be underestimating him because of his eccentric nature, but in a way that makes him even better suited to our purposes. The youth has wealth and connections...he could be useful in more ways than simply to serve as a distraction."

"Hmmm...I get it," Taro smiled a less than pleasant sort of smile, "You mean if we can turn this bozo over to our side..."

"Which may be easier than your reckon," Purge observed, "He has a fascination with the Jedi Padawan...a strong desire that appears not to be reciprocated. Frustration and desire can be the opening we need to approach this youth, and how interesting to learn that he has a sister whom he regards as a family disappointment. Yes, I see much potential for mischief in all of this. Perhaps a bit more research into the matter will turn up other interesting things that we might use to our advantage."

As he said this, the Dark Lord raised his arm and held up a bound and gagged figure that was dangling from its ankles and squirming about in a vain attempt to free itself. The figure appeared to be a diminutive Ninja, but the eyes of the little man registered great fear as he found the slitted eyes of the Lizard Man were glaring at him in no overtly friendly manner.

"Family retainer to House Kuno," Taro sniffed, "Maybe you should throw this one back, Boss, he looks a bit under the limit. Besides, Ninjas are supposed to be so tough that they wouldn't talk no matter what you did to persuade them."

The little man made a stifled noise of protest and violently shook his head from side-to-side in negation. Purge mused at the universality of physical gestures when applied to the human species and just smiled as he hissed, "Oh...I think this fellow may be more cooperative than that...am I mistaken in assuming this...little man?"

Sasuke eyed the hulking man-lizard and took note of the rows of visible teeth in a face that was anything but human. He also could not help noticing that the arm suspending him above the level of the ground was long enough to do justice to a fair-sized tree-trunk. The boy next to this giant was cracking his knuckles and smiling at Sasuke as though contemplating a punching bag. Weighted against these factors his loyalty to House Kuno did seem a trifle...lacking...

"Good," Purge mused ominously, "Then I don't suppose you would object to my asking you a few...harmless little questions?"

Sasuke swallowed, feeling lower than someone one scraped off of their heel when they came indoors, then bowed his head in submission to the inevitable, hoping that his ancestors might one day forgive his cowardice in the face of so much promised pain with no real gain to be offered as compensation.

"After you get done with him, Boss," Taro mused, "Can I have a little fun with the twerp?"

"Certainly not," Purge rumbled, "I have...other uses for this one, and if he agrees to fully cooperate, then I will be merciful and erase all memory that we ever had this meeting. Will that make you feel better about your betrayal, little Ninja?"

Something about the way this Lizard man offered up his concept of mercy frightened Sasuke far more than the other boy's promised beating. Into what kind of monstrous hands was he surrendering the Young Master? It almost made him rally what little courage he had to muster up a token show of defiance, but the thought was squelched as soon as it reared its timid head within his breast, to be replaced with a more practical "Better a Live Rat than a Dead Duck" sort of mindset, so once the gag was removed and the questions were asked, Sasuke started talking, hoping against hope that one far stronger, braver and wiser than himself would put an end to these foul villains...

Someone he knew by the name of "Mistress Kasumi..."

All in all, Nabiki reasoned, it was not so bad to get off lightly in a fight with a fully trained Sith with nothing more than a sore shoulder, but still it was awfully hard to remain detached and philosophical when told by her Sensei that she would have to remain on the sidelines...at least for the moment. It was galling to think of how easily she had been taken down by an enemy...and worse than that, a RIVAL to the very boy whose hide she had intended to protect. Her pride was stung by the knowledge that it took an outsider to drive away the bad guy, a literal "Deus Ex Machina" running to her rescue. Still...without such timely intervention, well...Ranma would have been able to do little more than watch as Kuonji carved her up with the blazing hot tip of her light saber.

(The bitch really kicked my ass), Nabiki thought sourly, (And for all my training there wasn't a damned thing that I could do about it. I just wasn't good enough...) she paused a moment, replaying the sound of her own thoughts in her head then smiled ironically and added, (I'd better watch myself...I'm starting to sound just like Ranma!)

The boy in question was currently taking what looked like a short nap on the floor to their dojo, the result of having gotten careless again when sparring with Kasumi. (Serves him right), Nabiki thought with mild irony, (Him and that macho code of his against hitting women...)

Still it was kind of sweet and refreshing to meet a boy who wasn't an outright bully out to impress a girl by bullying her around with brute force and bluster. Nabiki had met and dealt with far too many who were like that in her time to have much sympathy for the "Equal Opportunity" bruisers. Ranma's crude conception of chivalry was a stark contrast to the "Hentai Hordes" that had made every morning of the past semester a waking nightmare for her sister. It still puzzled Nabiki that Akane insisted on regarding Ranma a little better than the rest, but at least she could take comfort in the fact that she would not be facing stiff competition from her "Overly Popular" and boy-hating little sister.

It still puzzled her how quickly this Ranma had suddenly taken center stage in her life, but Nabiki was hardly one to look a gift horse in the mouth. A few days ago she had not even known that a boy like him could even exist, and now she found herself pining for him and sympathizing with each and every lump that he was taking as he sought to improve himself by going full-out against someone as accomplished as Kasumi. Her older sister was fighting without weapons and withholding the bulk of her Force training, and still she was able to throw him the length of the room without seeming effort. Ranma might not think highly of his performance, but Nabiki was very impressed on seeing him get up again, a virtual glutton for punishment, too stubborn (or too stupid) to lay down and admit that he was outclassed here.

(You've got guts, Saotome), Nabiki silently remarked, (Your Kempo style isn't a match for Oneechan's Aikido training, but still you won't quit. A mule would have more sense than to keep rushing her the way you've been doing...)

She winced again as Ranma's attempt to grapple the taller girl resulted in Kasumi throwing him ass-over-teakettle into a wall, where he slid down slowly to the floor in an almost comic fashion.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked, "What does Little Brother think he is doing using such an obvious tactic? This one cannot believe that the one who fought her to a standstill before her whole tribe could be so blindly stupid."

"Too obvious if you ask me," Akane responded, "My guess is the Baka was trying to fake Kasumi out, only Oneechan wasn't gullible enough to fall for his tactic. Guess Ranma hasn't figure out yet that he can't count on brute strength to overpower Kasumi...the Force multiplies her natural strength by tenfold, so she can easily overmatch him in a grapple. She's also got the advantage of size and reach, which means he can't hope to rush her when her guard is up, and Kasumi never drops her guard for any reason."

That was the other really curious thing for Nabiki...finding out that she was not the first girlfriend that Ranma had recently known. This Shampoo character was an incredibly beautiful and exotic looking creature who had Force training from Kasumi and tended to regard the elder Tendo sister as her "Clan-Sister." Ranma was her "clan-brother" by adoption and-as such-more like a friend than a potential BOY-friend. There was obviously some affection extended both ways, but it seemed fairly harmless and comradely, lacking the sort of sexual tension that was always in the air between herself and Ranma. Coupled with that was the implied relationship that this Chinese girl had enjoyed with Kasumi, and her coy reference to having "some else" whom she was seeing, and Nabiki felt somewhat reassured that this Shampoo character did not constitute a potential rival of the same caliber as Kuonji.

But still a girl would have to be insane to drop her guard around someone this sexy and vivacious-to say nothing of CURVACIOUS-as Nabiki's estimate of the other girl suggested that-if her claims to being "natural" were to be taken at face value-the purple-haired Shampoo was not someone to be taken lightly. She was the sort of girl who not only could turn male heads but cause traffic accidents just by breathing deeply, and no WAY was Nabiki taking any chances that Ranma might suddenly notice her as a woman.

Especially not since she had Kasumi in the picture!

Akane...well...it looked like her little sister had taken an instant liking to the new girl on the block and was sitting beside Shampoo as if the two of them were childhood buddies. (Nabiki wondered if she should give a friendly warning to the new girl in town on just what her little sister regarded as "Friendship," then decided that she probably would not have to as this Shampoo did seem more experienced than Akane and Nabiki put together) At least this time Akane was flirting with one of the good-guys, not at all like that bizarre way that she had handled herself during the brief altercation involving Kuonji.

Nabiki winced as she felt, as well as heard, Ranma taking another beating and decided to turn her attention back to the fight, hoping the matter with Akane and Shampoo might resolve itself in a reasonably amicable manner...

Kasumi was starting to believe that she had detected a pattern to Ranma's recent string of hopeless attacks, and when he came too near to her this last time she had concluded that his strategy was basically a good one. He was deliberately probing her defenses for possible openings and weaknesses, and-finding none-  
was seeking to create one, only to find Kasumi ready with a counter. She was hardly conscious at all of her own actions as she flowed to her own counter-  
offensive, side-stepping his lunge while bringing the flat of her palm forward to lightly tap him on the shoulder, which naturally combined with his momentum to set him off balance so that his legs shot out from under him and he went tumbling backward onto the wooden floor of the dojo.

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked as she glanced down at her own handiwork, "Are you sure you're all right this time, Ranma?"

"Sure," he groaned, managing somehow to retain consciousness on this particular occasion. To himself, however, he silently thought, (It wouldn't hurt nearly this much if she didn't keep asking me that question...)

"Are you still not satisfied that Kasumi's defenses are nearly flawless, young Master?" Trieste's voice was gentle yet mocking, hinting at a weakness in his tactics that she seemed to believe would be obvious to anyone of a less headstrong nature.

(Oh yeah), Ranma winced as he tested the condition of his body and found that moving hurt a little less once his muscles stopped tensing, (This definitely isn't working...)

He had decided, after the first few cases of him winding up studying the ceiling of the dojo, that his personal reservations about hitting girls simply did not apply at all to someone like Kasumi. Oh sure, there was no mistaking her for anything else but a girl, and he certainly did not want to hit her-far from it, in fact! She was the single nicest person he had ever had the pleasure of encountering until now, and she easily ranked right up there with the most beautiful he had ever met. No way did he want to hurt someone like her, and he could not even feel resentment for all the punishment he had so far taken from twenty frantic moments of continuous free sparring.

No, his decision to try and hit her stemmed from the simple fact that-of all the Tendo sisters he had matched skills with so far-she was the only one with whom he had yet to even come close to scoring a hit. He had easily defeated Akane, performed quite well in his matches with Nabiki, but Kasumi was like a whole new level or dimension in fighting. She hardly seemed to move and yet she deflected and avoided his best attempts to lay a hand on her. He had gotten frustrated and then careless, rankled by his conflicting need to win the fight without actually doing her any damage, and in the split second of hesitation this provided she was all over him, scoring hits and points with such ease that he might as well not have bothered with his defenses. It was uncanny how she seemed to know just when to strike and how much effort would be needed to send him flying. She was a heck of a lot stronger than she looked...and fast? She was blinding! Next to her he was practically standing still and he was like a child in her grasp, a feeling about which he was far from happy.

Nabiki had not realized it at first, but she was chewing her fingernail anxiously as she watched her older sister face their iinazuke in an uncharacteristic attack stance, and Ranma seemingly hypnotized-or paralyzed-  
in the face of Kasumi's onslaught. Nabiki had thought she had trusted her sister, but the tension was becoming too much for her and gathered herself to intervene, stopped at the last moment by Trieste' voice in her head, which was surprisingly calm and oddly reassuring.

(Trust your sister, Nabiki, she does not wish to see the boy harmed either. I believe this will work if you show a little patience.)

Nabiki was not so sure, but she held her peace. Little did she know how extraordinary the next few minutes would prove to be...

"I'm okay," Ranma said as he got to his feet once again, slowly testing himself out to insure that he was no worse than a little shaken, "I don't get this...how can you be so strong? This doesn't make any sense..."

"Don't be too upset or frustrated by your lack of success, Ranma," Trieste cautioned, "Your training is good, by far the best I have seen of anyone your age living on this planet...but Kasumi is one with the Force, and the power that affords her is near-infinite. You must learn to attune yourself to the same currents if you wish to complete on the same level."

"Right," Ranma said as he straightened up and readied himself, "But...how? I'm trying to keep myself open, to feel the currents and all that other stuff you told me about...but...I just can't feel nothing."

"That's a contradiction in terms, Ranma," Kasumi explained, "One cannot not feel anything, it's a double negative and it ultimately means nothing."

"Ah...it's just a figure of speech, Kasumi," Ranma said as delicately as he could manage.

"Oh?" Kasumi blinked, "Oh my...but then what does it mean, Ranma-kun?"

"Ah...forget about it," Ranma shrugged, realizing another basic problem he was having in putting up a credible fight with this overly nice girl...he just could not get angry enough at her to go all out like he would against his own father. The entire scope of his training to date had left him ill prepared for combat against someone who was not actually out to hurt him.

Kasumi felt a bit crestfallen herself, knowing that the very scope of her prowess was upsetting the very boy with whom she wanted to make friends. It had been a problem for her in the past in dealing with young men who might otherwise find her attractive...they were forever being intimidated by the very ease in which she could defeat them. Ranma's ego was taking quite a beating, and yet she was not even trying to put up much of a fight. All her instincts were geared to reacting on automatic to a perceived threat or attack, and it would have been contrary to her training to ignore these essential reflexes.

"You don't have to understand everything at once, young Master," Trieste urged, "You first have to learn to feel your way as you would in any other battle. You rely too much on what you know and what you think you know, what you see and think you see, and as such your response time is much slower than it would be if you could feel your way in the battle, the same as Kasumi."

"Feel my way in a battle?" Ranma asked.

"Exactly," Trieste replied, "You've been trained to shut down most of your feelings when you fight, leaving only the emotions essential to keeping your focus in a battle. This has had the negative effect of leaving you unable to cope with feelings that are outside of those involved directly in battle. Anger, fear and hate can be strong motivation for doing your best in a fight, but they are essentially negative emotions and border on the Dark Side. You will find that Kasumi is entirely lacking in such strongly negative feelings. She hates no one and is angry at nothing. Fear is just a feeling she ignores, like heat and cold or extremes of the weather. Her strength is in the positive feelings of love and compassion, and this makes her powerful in ways that you cannot imagine."

"Love...and compassion?" Ranma was surprised by that, "You can use stuff like that in a fight?"

"I don't fight because I want to hurt people, Ranma," Kasumi replied, "I fight because it is necessary, and because I can feel the suffering that is caused by those who want to hurt other people."

"But...ain't that kinda more defensive than offensive?" Ranma asked.

"It is a reactive force, true," Trieste admitted, "And Kasumi is hardly an offensive sort of person, but think on this well...who is winning and who is losing?"

"Ah..." Ranma winced, "Good point..."

"Mistress," Kasumi spoke up, "Perhaps Ranma-kun's problem is that he does rely too much upon his external senses. Do you remember how you taught me to feel my way in a fight?"

"Good thinking," Trieste smiled, extending a hand that held a black silk handkerchief, "I was wondering when you would think of that. Use this and let Ranma experience for himself the power of the Force first hand. It should instruct him far better than anything that you or I might verbally describe for him."

Kasumi extended her hand and the silk kerchief flew across the space between herself and her instructor, gently landing across the palm of her hand as she turned and smiled at Ranma, who in turn felt oddly nervous at that smile, suggesting as it did so many things that he did not know how to handle.

"Put this on, Ranma-kun," Kasumi urged, "It will help you learn how to focus."

"Focus?" Ranma asked, "W-What do you mean?"

"You are familiar with the concept of Blind Fighting, correct?" Trieste asked him.

"Oh, sure," Ranma said, "A guy I met in India was pretty big about it. I learned to use my hearing instead of my eyes, but how is this supposed to make me learn to use this Force stuff."

"You already do know how to use it...to a fairly limited extent," Trieste replied, "But here you will learn just how strong the Force is working through you. As your eyes...and even your ears can deceive you, you must learn to trust your other feelings, the ones you have kept hidden in your heart nearly all of your young life."

"Well, all right," Ranma said dubiously, tying the blindfold around his head so that his eyes were completely covered, "But I don't know if this is gonna work..."

Trieste smiled indulgently at the boy, knowing full well that he could not see the gesture. The boy was a trooper, willing to try anything at least once, and in spite of his self-deprecating manner he still had the cockiness of someone who was sure of his own abilities. The battering he had taken sparring with Kasumi had not dampened his warrior spirit, only wounded his pride and made him twice as determined to master this new system. Whatever the shortcomings of the system under which he had trained, he still had the fire and determination of a proven winner seeking to improve his technique, and there were a lot worse qualities that one could want for in a student.

Aloud what she said was, "Try sparring now, and see what happens."

"As you wish, Mistress," Kasumi replied and at once assumed a posture of readiness.

"Remember, young Master," Trieste addressed herself towards Ranma, "With the force as your ally you are never truly blind. You rely too much on your thinking for your actions rather than upon your subconscious."

Ranma winced slightly at Nabiki's audible snort.

"Heh, Nobody's ever accused me a' that before," he murmured self-consciously, showing the same self-deprecating humor that had attracted Nabiki to him in the first place.

Kasumi smiled benevolently, and began to speak and a low, soothing tone, almost hypnotic, "Nonetheless, it is true. You must let go your conscious thought, Ranma-kun. Your eyes can deceive you, do not trust them. Stretch out with all of your senses, sight, smell, hearing, and touch, then let go and allow them to become automatic. Think with your feelings, not in words or pictures. Let the force guide you where your physical sense cannot and the rest in turn will become second nature..."

Kasumi continued to speak to Ranma until all expression had dropped off the visible portion of his face, and he was bouncing, almost too gently to see it, on the balls of his feet. Kasumi stopped talking when Trieste made a hand gesture while Ranma's expression did not waver. She probed him gently with the force and noticed that he seemed to still be aware, so she decided to test him. She could feel Nabiki's buildup of anxiety as her sister felt Kasumi once more shifting to an attack mode. Truth be told, Kasumi was somewhat anxious herself, but she needed to do this, Ranma's confidence in his own training depended on her testing his defenses.

Gathering the Force into her body, she prepared to attack again with all that she had...

Ranma Saotome found that he was calm and serene, Kasumi's speech having effectively lulled him into a trance-like state that left his thoughts adrift in a void while he stared into the blackness of his blindfold. With unusual clarity of thought he realized that he had been trying to force his thoughts onto the situation. He reacted now by shutting off his internal voice, all his questions and his doubts. He simply listened to the gentle tone, if not the words, of his sensei, and began to allow his mind to expand. He wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly, he could actually see her, framed against the dojo. He did not see the entire dojo, of course, simply Kasumi and himself as though they had a spotlight shining down on them from all angles. He was also filled with an all-consuming certainty that something was about to happen, and the hairs on his arms all stood on end as he calmly braced himself, feeling the air as though tensing for the moment.

Ranma hunched down but found that he could not detect any movement in his opponent. He tried to cock his ear and listen for any rustling of clothing fabrics but Kasumi remained quite still and naturally gave no indication of any intention to attack. Left as the situation was it would most probably have resulted in an impasse, but Trieste made a visual signal to Kasumi and indicated that she should attack, and like the obedient student she had always been the oldest Tendo daughter followed her instructions.

Ranma felt as though an odd shadow version of Kasumi were taking form within his mind, knowing that whatever it was that was going to happen would it happen now or not at all. Very slowly Kasumi moved forward into a simple punch, flowing slowly in his mind as if underwater. Ranma simply angled his head and shoulders to dodge as the fist flowed gracefully past his nose. As Kasumi began to continue her attack, Ranma's normal fighting instincts joined him in this slow moving ballet-fight and he began to observe the shadow-form in his mind coming right at him!

Despite herself, Nabiki gasped as Kasumi threw a blindingly fast force-powered uppercut. It was full speed for a Jedi, and no normal human had a hope in hell of dodging. Ranma however, continued to prove that he was most assuredly not a normal human being. With a speed that made the move difficult to see, Ranma rolled his shoulder and head back, allowing Kasumi's punch to harmlessly graze his cheek. As Kasumi retracted her arm, Ranma snapped his head and shoulders back to their original positions and he leapt backwards, assuming a fighting stance while Kasumi assumed one also, and then two began fighting in earnest.

Ranma barely had time to detect the sound of movement in front of him before Kasumi's foot came rocketing towards his face, but at the very last instant he darted backwards, feeling the brush of bare skin lightly grazing his chin without more substantial contact. Almost immediately he reacted by vaulting backwards and lashing out with his own foot, which was stopped mere centimeters from Kasumi's face as her hand came up to block it. Ranma continued in the same motion and his other foot came into play, forcing Kasumi to dart back and avoid it as Ranma completed his motion and came down to the floor in a one-point landing.

No sooner had he touched down, however, then Kasumi launched a direct attack with the blade edge of her foot aimed for his mid-section, and so silent was her approach that he did not even hear it coming before it connected, doubling him over and sending him flying backwards.

"Ranma-kun!" Nabiki called out in distress, her anxiety overcoming her normal reserve as she winced sympathetically, feeling as though her own gut had been kicked by her powerful older sister.

Much to her surprise, though, Ranma jack-knifed backwards in mid-air and came down in a roll on the floor that resulted in him winding up standing upright. Ranma tensed himself and then rocketed forward as though his body were working on automatic, but once he had crossed half the space between himself and the taller girl he launched an attack that actually forced Kasumi on the defensive, his punches and kicks delivered with fast and furious timing that was surprisingly intense considering the reserve in which he had fought up until that moment. Without seeing Kasumi he was fighting blind and actually scoring, coming far closer to connecting with her opponent while being met by an equally intense defense on the part of Kasumi. This time she did not counter attack, and it was not because she was taking it easy on her opponent.

This exchange only lasted a few seconds, but finally Ranma found an opening, a point where her sparring partner was a tad bit slow in erecting her guard. Her shoulder was just a bit off and too low to block a shot, and without thinking twice about it he rocked his foot forward with a solid roundhouse and actually connected. Kasumi did not see the kick but felt it as it rocketed her to the floor, having cleanly knocked her from her feet from the force of that impact.

"KASUMI!" both Nabiki and Akane reacted at once while Shampoo merely blinked her eyes and stared at where her "Big Sister" had fallen.

"WHOAH!" Ranma cried as he landed on his feet, tearing off his blindfold with a look of exultation, "What the hell was that? It felt like...WOW!"

"Congratulations," Trieste smiled approvingly, "You made a connection. You have taken your first step into a much larger world, young Master Saotome."

"I know...it was incredible!" Ranma exclaimed, "I could actually feel her coming at me...it was like...OMIGAWD! Kasumi?"

Ranma belatedly realized that Kasumi was sprawled on the floor of the dojo, and like a shot he was crouched over her side as Kasumi pushed herself off of the floor, feeling her chin where a thin trickle of blood had started to flow. Ranma stared in dismay at the angry bruise he saw forming where his foot at connected, and in horrified realization of what he had done he said, "Kasumi-  
I-I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...!"

To his complete and utter surprise Kasumi looked up at him...and she was actually smiling! With a radiant grin that lit up her normally serene features she said, "Ranma-kun...thank you! There is no need for you to apologize, you did very well! Very well indeed..."

"W-What?" Ranma stammered, having in no way anticipated such a favorable reaction.

"I wanted you to hit me and you did," Kasumi said as she got into a sitting position, then bent her head forward and pressed her hands against the floor, "Arigato...you have done me a great honor."

"I have?" Ranma still could not quite equate what he had done with anything that was praise worthy.

"You were holding back because I am a woman," Kasumi replied, "You couldn't see me as your enemy so you fought with less than your full fighting spirit. When I attacked you it triggered your latent warrior instincts, and since your eyes could not contradict this you behaved as you would had I been an actual assailant. I am so proud of you for giving me an honest effort this time...you have shown me your true potential as a fighter and I feel so...exhilarated because of it. I have never enjoyed a fight so much as I did at this moment, for that that I am entirely grateful."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, still not quite able to understand why hitting a girl should have made her so happy.

"Don't try to figure it out, Ranma-kun," Nabiki urged as she approached, "Kasumi's got a...very unique way of viewing things, and I guess she just enjoys the fact that you're finally taking her seriously rather than stand around and let her punch your lights out."

"I don't care what anybody else says," Akane growled, "You hit my sister, but you never fought with me like that! I'm not gonna take it so easy on your anymore, next time we fight it's for real!"

"Now Akane, don't be jealous," Kasumi gently chided.

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" Akane said fiercely, "He's your boyfriend...or maybe Nabiki's, but keep me out of this!"

"Suit yourself," Kasumi said brightly, then turned to Trieste and said, "Did you see, Mistress? He actually force me to work for it this time! I've never had my skills so tested...this is wonderful!"

"Oh yes," Trieste smiled indulgently, "And it's only the beginning, in fact..."

Ranma suddenly felt the slap of a hand against the side of his head and turned around to find Shampoo glaring at him, which made him defensively say, "What?"

"Why do you stand there like an idiot with your mouth hanging open, Little Brother?" the Amazon said fiercely, "You fought very well this time against Big Sister and should be proud of giving a good account. You must never dishonor her by holding back or implying that she is a weak girl who is in need of your protection. No Amazon would ever put up with such an insult, and if my cousin were here, or any of the truly fierce warriors of our tribe, they would be taking you to task for not fighting her with honor! What do you think this is, a challenge match or something?"

"But..." Ranma started to stammer.

"This one believes that you have had it much too easy since leaving Joketsuzoku," Shampoo declared, "It is time you remember what a true warrior can be like. You will face me now and fight like an oath-born brother to the Nyanchiczu or this one will give you reason to ponder. With your permission, Elder?"

"By all means," Trieste said with a wave of her hand, "I should very much enjoy seeing how far you have come in your own studies."

"Now this one has good reason to fight at her best," Shampoo beamed proudly, "You give this one your best show, Little Brother, so that this one can properly demonstrate her skills as a fighter."

"Gulp," Ranma responded, and not with irony or humor conveyed in his tone or expression.

Trieste smiled at the young warrior's discomfiture, knowing full well that Shampoo would not allow him to fall back into his old patterns. The battle had been an amazing thing to see, Ranma and Kasumi clashing in a brutal and yet incredibly graceful duel, moving at speeds that the normal human eye would register as mere blurs...that is if they saw it at all. Even Trieste had been forced to dip into the Force in order to speed up her perceptions to keep track of the rapid exchanges of their movements. It was confirmation of her belief that Ranma could be a worthy Apprentice is given time to work through his considerable disadvantages. It meant that he was worth the risk that she was taking, and even if the boy did have the potential to turn to the Dark Side she felt in her heart that he would prove true to his positive nature. No one who showed such remorse over injuring Kasumi could be truly evil in his heart, and with Kasumi guiding him there was reason to believe that he would gradually come to surpass even her expectations.

Nabiki had been feeling a mixture of relief and dismay upon seeing Ranma topple her idol. Her mouth had been hanging open the whole time that she had been watching the fight between two people who were both very important to her, showing a depth in her own emotions that she had never suspected that she possessed, a feeling mingled with dismay when she noticed a spark of interest passing between Ranma and Kasumi. She had to fight a jealous impulse to step forward and declare her stake in the boy who had come to mean so much to both of the older Tendo sisters. She had been lonely in her life without realizing it until now, and discovering that there was a boy who could make her feel these emotions made her want to declare for him in spite of her lifelong habit of remaining aloof, a detached and almost emotionless observer.  
And yet to see Ranma in motion, the hard lines of his lightning-quick body, the fierce glow of his spirit contrasting brightly next to the calm blue flame that was Kasumi, awoke in her an intense desire to have him near to her, to have him looking at her with those magnetic blue eyes and speaking soothing words into her ear that would fulfill the unspoken wishes of a lifetime.

Akane had no such complimentary thoughts to extend towards Ranma, but she was suitably impressed that the boy had proved himself no common thug, so she was willing to tolerate his laying a rude hand (or foot) upon her sister since Kasumi seemed not to have minded it. It did prove her suspicions that he had been holding back all the while, a suspicion further confirmed as she watched the fight break out between Ranma and the Amazon, Shampoo.

She smiled as she watched the purple haired girl pressing hard against Ranma, who genuinely had to defend himself against the onslaught of the Chinese warrior-woman, and as Akane studied their fight she found herself drawn to the fluid motions of the newcomer. This Shampoo seemed graceful and as dynamic as a bamboo shoot in the wind, and there was no mistaking her curves as the curvaceous girl flowed easily from one movement to the next. She had the strength of a fighter with the poise of a dancer and it definitely left Akane excited to see her pounding on Ranma's defenses, pressing the boy to the limits until he had no choice but to retaliate, and at length force Shampoo back on the defensive.

Kasumi herself was pleased as she watched her clan-sister go toe-to-toe with her prospective boyfriend. Iinazuke or no, Ranma had taken her seriously during their fight and had even shown concern for her safety when he managed to score against her. She wanted very much to spar with him again, to see if she could improve her own fighting skills against this most worthy of sparring partners. There was much about him that reminded her of the best aspects of her own father, and this made her wonder what else she could discover if she spent more time around this handsome, confusing, sometimes exasperating and altogether wonderful young man she could now happily call her Apprentice.

The fight between Ranma and Shampoo concluded in a draw with an even number of blows exchanged on either side, Shampoo having battered and relentlessly pressed herself against her "clan-brother's" defenses, and Ranma retaliating in kind mostly from sheer desperation than any actual desire to inflict injury on his Amazon "sister."

"Very good, Shampoo," Trieste complimented, "You have become strong with the Force indeed, and you do great honor to your ancestors."

"Thank you, Elder," Shampoo smiled, not even breathing very hard for all her recent exertions, "Great-grandmother will be most pleased by your appraisal."

"And Ranma," Trieste smiled, "You have performed quite well and made great progress in this session. The Force is indeed strong with you, young Master, and one day soon you will be a great Jedi Knight if you continue to progress at such a rate.

(Yeah), Ranma thought to himself as he studied the eager and even gleeful faces of the four girls eyeing him like a prized possession, (If I survive this...)

And in thinking this thought he could not help but feel a slightly fatalistic shudder...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Moonlight Rambling: shadowmane

My thanks again to Brandon Kelly, from whose notes a generous portion of this chapter were borrowed and adapted. I'm working to keep this storyline fresh and original while avoiding the predictable cliches that some have suggested that I am headed towards, and while I like to flirt with various possible directions I am not inclined to repeat the same patterns that I have followed in my other fanfics. Some duplication is inevitable, but I hope to take things in some new and interesting directions.

Next time out we have Ukyo considering the curious direction that her life appears to be taking as she re-assesses her approach to "converting" Akane to the Dark Side. Nabiki opens up a bit more about her own past with Ranma while Kasumi begins to take a more open interest in the...development of her new "Apprentice," while Akane does her own sounding out with Shampoo...and will Tatewaki Kuno really become the next recruit in Purge's growing Sith-army? Tune in next time for: "That old Sith Magic," or "With Sisters like these, who needs Sith for enemies?" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . or it's mirror site at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	11. Chapter 11

JediKasumi11

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim R Bader &amp;  
Brandon Kelley

(Inspired by the works of Takahashi &amp; Lucas)

Chapter Eleven.

A New Slope

Having weathered the crisis of both Sith and his mother, Ranma has begun his training under Trieste and Kasumi while Tatewaki Kuno gains new insight from his mother on the nature of both the Force and the Jedi, not yet knowing that he has come under the scrutiny of the villainous Darth Purge,  
who is considering his recruitment to the Dark Side...

Meanwhile, Purge's misguided apprentice, Ukyo,  
is contemplating why her attempt to sound out Akane Tendo for a possible conversion has not yet gone quite as expected, little realizing that it is Akane who is considering her for potential "conversion..."

Ukyo sat atop the clock tower overlooking the schoolyard with her chin resting in the palm of one hand, staring down at the ant-like students while pondering to herself, (I must be doing something wrong here, either that or that Akane chick is even more screwed up than I'd imagined...)

It was all so terribly confusing to the young Apprenticed Sith, reared as she had been to admire only "strong" emotions such as anger and hate, the weapons of the Sith in their eternal war against the Jedi. Her first impressions of Akane had seemed to suggest that the girl was fairly boiling over with those qualities, much of her hostility rightfully directed against Saotome Ranma, Ukyo's betrayer and wayward "fiancee." It had seemed like such a simple idea to approach the girl and sound her out for possible conversion, and what a potential coup that would be to turn one of the Jedi Apprentices over to their side of the fence! Her Master would have been proud of such an accomplishment in his Padawan, and yet from the moment she and Akane had exchanged words nothing had gone quite as she had imagined...

Ukyo was not accustomed to dealing with emotions of a lighter nature. Fear and greed she could manipulate, but someone actually trying to be friendly towards her was a new experience, and one for which she was not properly trained to handle. Akane had sympathized with Ukyo's plight and motivations for her anger and even seemed willing to ignore the potential threat Ukyo posed to her two older sisters, suggesting that there was even less domestic tranquility on that homefront than even Darth Purge had imagined.

Only Ukyo was not quite entirely convinced that there was any real negative feelings between Akane and her sisters. It had seemed more like some variation on sibling rivalry rather than sibling resentment, and besides...Akane's real concerns had seemed to be with Ukyo herself as if she were genuinely offering an informal truce between them as individuals, disregarding their opposing alignments.

Okay so far...Akane was a bit odd and contrary in nature, a cute girl who had a quick temper and was full of resentments, most of which seemed to be directed towards the boys of her school, which was understandable since a fair proportion of the student body tried to beat her up every morning, with predictable results considering that Akane was part Jedi.

But then this morning proved to be the weirdest encounter by far! Ukyo had found herself sitting next to Akane and receiving occasional friendly stares from the other girl, followed by a slipped note that suggested that they meet together during lunch recess to renew their talk without the interference of her mentor. Ukyo had agreed to the meeting behind the girls' lockers and had thought that she had come prepared for anything...but what actually happened during their conversation was unlike anything for which the young Sith had thought likely to happen...

"First off, I want to apologize for my Sensei interrupting us yesterday," Akane began in the first of several surprising comments that were to follow, "I know it was rude, but I know my Sensei meant well and was only trying to look out for what she thought was my best interests."

"You don't trust the judgement of your Master?" Ukyo had wondered.

"I can do my own thinking for myself, thank you," Akane responded, "And I don't really believe that you're my enemy, even if you do work for the Dark Side."

"And how would you know that?" Ukyo challenged.

"Because as angry as you are about Ranma and his father, or what they did to you ten years ago, the only fight you have with me is that I was trained by a Jedi," Akane answered, "You really don't have any beef with me personally, unless you want to prove that you're a tough guy, which would make you no better than a common bully."

"And your point is?" Ukyo glowered.

"That I think you're better than that," Akane said, "You train real hard and you're very strong, I can feel it. I don't think Nabiki could take you, but Kasumi probably could, and you're way lots more powerful than that Ranma guy, so what would be the point of trying to beat me up...unless you'd just like to fight with me, which is okay in my book."

"It is?" Ukyo was surprised by this comment.

"Sure," Akane said with a grin, "I like to fight...fighting is how I test myself and push my skills to the limit. It's how I improve myself and refine my techniques. Fighting is what I do best and the thing that makes me feel the most alive, and tell me if you don't feel the same way yourself about fighting! I'll bet you enjoy a good scrap as much as I do...especially if you're fighting against a really strong opponent."

"And doesn't it bother you that I could probably kick your ass?" Ukyo challenged.

"Yeah, right," Akane grinned broader, "Like it would be that easy...but if I was afraid of getting hurt, then what would I be doing training to fight in the first place."

"Hmm...good point," Ukyo smirked, unslinging her spatula, "I gotta admit that I like your fighting spirit, but you're way out of your league if you think you can stand up to me in a straight fight...Sugar."

Ukyo lunged with her Bakers peel, but Akane raised a hand and the blade-edge was deflected harmlessly to the side. Ukyo tried again but once more encountered a strong TK field that easily met and turned the spatula to the side so that it missed Akane altogether. In the moment that Ukyo started to withdraw the force in Akane's left hand shot forward and Ukyo felt herself being picked up and propelled backwards in a roll from which she easily recovered. No sooner had her feet touched ground then she found Akane charging her at a Force-propelled momentum, and with hasty motions employing the handle of her weapon she managed to deflect a series of punches and kicks that were incredibly powerful and backed by a fury that was the equal to a giant hammer.

"Kuso!" Ukyo declared as the two of them broke apart to reassess one another, "You are good!"

"Told you so," Akane smiled, "And you're pretty incredible yourself. Nice recovery from that force blast. Guess you can see now why it's a mistake to underestimate me."

"Well, if you've been working out crashing thirty or forty guys every morning, I guess that means you're not such a pushover," Ukyo's own smile deepened, "But I think you'll find that I'm a lot tougher than you realize, and a few tricks won't be enough to prevail against me!"

Ukyo stood her ground and raised her baker's peel high, then gathered the Force about her in preparation of a new attack, launching herself forward with greater speed and strength than even Akane had anticipated and battering against the other girl's shields with rapid thrusts that forced Akane to back away, dodging the spatula as fast as she was able.

But then Akane surprised Ukyo again by falling over onto one hand and lifting up her legs in a double-kick that passed under the Chef's guard and nearly connected against Ukyo's stomach. Only by turning her body to the side was she able to avoid the solid impact that might have knocked the wind from her sails but instead merely grazed her.

"Why you-!" Ukyo growled and swung her peel like an ax, trying to slice her opponent in half.

"Oh, don't get angry," Akane smiled as she gripped the handle of the peel and stood poised to one side, "Frowning will only give you wrinkles, and you're much too pretty a girl to be ruining your looks like that."

"W-What?" Ukyo was taken completely by surprise by that remark and momentarily faltered, giving Akane the edge she needed to twist her body to one side and throw the dark-clad girl over one shoulder.

"Gotcha that time," Akane said as she twirled the baker's peel in her hand like a baton, "You're very powerful and skilled, but I've got a lot of raw strength in my use of the Force, so you give me the least little opening and I'll be all over you like a blanket."

"Give me that!" Ukyo stretched out her hand and Akane felt the tug on her arm as the spatula tried to yank itself free.

Rather than resist the pull, however, Akane just smiled, opened her hand and added her own "push" to the metal object, causing it to speed up its momentum to a much greater extent than what Ukyo had been prepared for.

"SUNUVA-!" Ukyo swore as she dodged her own weapon, which imbedded itself in the wall directly behind her.

"Well, you wanted it, didn't you?" Akane raised her fists and once again grinned broadly, "But what do you need physical weapons for? Aren't you strong enough to do this bare-handed?"

"Just try me, Bitch," Ukyo snarled, raising her own fists, "I'll make you sorry you ever thought you could play around with me! Prepare for a whole world of hurt!"

And Ukyo charged forward, hands moving like a blur as Akane met and blocked a series of punches that were too fast for the human eye to perceive, but which also involved a whole lot more than just physical contact. Flashes of light occurred every time Force met Counterforce as Jedi and Sith employed their fighting spirits to meet and cancel out such powerful blows that a single solid connection would have shattered brick into powder.

It did not take long for Akane to assess the skill and raw power of her opponent, which proved to be much greater than her own though Akane did her level best to uphold her end of these exchanges. Ukyo also had a greater range and flexibility in her combat style, so it was inevitable that she would sooner or later connect with a solid blow, and all it took was for Akane to get careless before she found Ukyo's foot rocketing for her face. With a shocking jolt like electricity a red and blue flare repelled one another and what kinetic force managed to penetrate on Akane's end sent her tumbling for several meters into the dirt.

"I told you not to mess with me!" Ukyo snarled as she rushed forward to press her advantage, but Akane recovered and vaulted back out of the way of the stamp that would have crushed her spine if it had connected.

"Aw," Akane pouted as she landed in a crouch, "But I think you'd be fun to mess around with...and you're so perfect! You're giving me a much better workout than that wuss, Saotome!"

"You're enjoying yourself?" Ukyo launched herself forward and aimed an elbow-  
smash towards her opponent, only to find the black haired girl had ducked low and planted an elbow of her own towards her exposed chest, stunning Ukyo while falling just short of cracking her rib-cage.

"Sure," Akane said as she aimed an upward palm-strike that connected against Ukyo's chin and sent the apprenticed Sith hurtling skyward, "Why not? This is great, don't you think?"

Ukyo recovered once again but felt as though her jaw was nearly dislocated by that last blow. She crouched low and summoned the Force into her being once again, deciding to escalate the match to a higher level. In addition to this she extended one hand and pulled her bakers peel loose from the wall in which it had been imbedded, then took an aggressive stance that belied the wary apprehension that she was feeling at the unexpected strength of her opponent.

"Enjoying myself?" Ukyo replied in a low growl, "I don't know what you're talking about! I haven't enjoyed anything since the day Saotome ruined my life!"

"Are you sure?" Akane seemed genuinely interested, "Because it's such a shame, you being such a pretty girl and all that while having to waste yourself over some creep who obviously never appreciated you."

"What?" Ukyo blinked, "Are you calling me pretty?"

"Of course," Akane replied with a winsome smile that belied the bruises she was sporting on her own face, "You mean you don't know how pretty you are? Hasn't anybody ever told you?"

"Don't make fun of me!" Ukyo snarled as the waves of the Force began to curl and roil around her body, manifesting an almost visible battle aura, "I'm not pretty! I'm a Sith!"

"So?" Akane replied, "What's that got to do with anything? You think dressing up like a boy changes the fact that you're all woman? I say you're pretty."

"SHUT UP!" Ukyo charged with her summoned energies and launched what was by far her most devastating attack to date, slashing the air with such force that it carved a deep gouge in the soil and sent a wave of destructive power that extended for a full twenty meters before finally being dissipated.

But Akane had managed to get out of the way well in advance of the attack, and when the last ebb of dark energies was expended Ukyo found Akane perched on the edge of the spatula, balancing easily as she knelt down and smiled at Ukyo, then said, "In fact...I think you're even kind of cute."

"W-What?" Ukyo recoiled from that, "N-No way! You've got to be joking!"

"Now why would I joke about a thing like that?" Akane asked with a sincerely puzzled expression, "You think I'd say you were cute if I didn't mean it?"

"I'm not cute!" Ukyo declared and forced Akane off her spatula, then tried to swat her with it, but the other girl used levitation to remain just out of reach of the swing, then tumbled clear of it and landed right before Kuonji.

"Yes you are," Akane smiled, "You're positive Kawaii. Haven't you ever looked at yourself in a mirror?"

Ukyo's backswing failed to connect as Akane vaulted backwards and landed out of reach of her weapon. Ukyo snarled and aimed her spatula at Akane's middle, only to have the edge caught narrowly between Akane's palms as the other girl brought her hands together, bringing the blade to a momentary impasse.

"Geez," Akane winced, "What are you so upset about? Call a girl cute and she gets so emotional..."

"Stop calling me that!" Ukyo snarled and tried to force her weapon free from the other girl's grip, only to discover that Akane's strength was tenacious.

"What's going on here?" an older woman's voice rang out, "What do you two girls think you are doing?"

"Miss Noriko?" Akane reacted, then stepped away and let the baker's peel go and assumed an innocent pose, "Nothing, Coach...we were just...working out."

"WORKING OUT?" the girl's PE coach declared in disbelief, waving a hand to show the recent field of battle, "Look at all this damage! You call this working out, Tendo?"

"Well," Akane cupped her hands behind her head and glanced in a nonchalant manner off into the distance, "Maybe we did get a little bit carried away...but that sometimes happens in a fight, don't you know?"

"Don't give me that cute, flippant attitude of yours!" Noriko snarled, "The rest of the faculty may buy into your 'Nice Girl' act, but I know you better! Just be glad I'm friends with your parents or I'd be sending you the bill to pay for these damages! Just the same I'm going to have you work it off for costing this school much needed repair funds! And you-Kuonji, isn't it?"

"Me?" Ukyo was surprised at the female Coach's vehemence.

"Do your flirting with my students on your own time!" Noriko growled, "Don't you boys have anything better to do when you want to pick up girls for a date?"

"What?" Ukyo blinked, "But I-!"

"No excuses!" Noriko snarled, "You gang up on Tendo every morning trying to impress her, and now here you are chasing after her during lunch recess! I've a mind to talk to your coach to have some of these Sporting clubs be disbanded since they're turning out more Juvenile delinquents than actual sports stars these days!"

"But I'm not-!" Ukyo sputtered.

"Coach, Ukyo's new on campus," Akane said, "You don't expect a new student to understand all the rules about how things get done here, do you?"

"Don't you encourage him, Tendo!" Noriko rounded on the younger girl, "Just because you're this school's greatest athlete doesn't entitle you to any special favors, and when you get to my class, young lady, you'll be running laps and doing so many pushups that you'll think you're in the Home Defense service! Now, knock it off and get back to your classes!"

The female coach turned and stormed angrily away, leaving a much-bewildered Ukyo standing around with the edge of her baker's peel resting on the ground while her hand only lightly gripped it.

"Don't let her get to you," Akane urged, "Coach may sound like she means it but she's more bark than bite. I get talked down like that all the time and it doesn't really mean a thing unless you get stuck having her in your classes."

"You...get chewed out like that all the time?" Ukyo turned to her, "What are you, some kind of junior JD or something?"

"Oh, I'm not that bad, honest," Akane replied, "I just have a...reputation around this place. Well, guess we'd better call this off for now. Good fight, we'll have to do this again sometime. Be seeing you around."

And with that Akane walked right past Ukyo, patting her affectionately on the shoulder while Kuonji tried to sort out what had just happened. By the time she said, "Hey!" Akane was long gone and lunch period was ending, so she had to hurry off to classes, all the while wondering just how their fight had turned into such a "friendly" altercation.

She was still trying to figure it out long after classes had ended, and sitting atop the clock tower gave her time to think it over. She replayed the fight in her mind, struck by the powerful impression that Akane really had been enjoying herself during their altercation together. Ukyo remembered getting really angry and going all out against the other girl, yet for all of that Akane had held her own and gave back as good as she had given, and for all Ukyo had demonstrated the superior level of skill, the raw strength of Akane's TK Force was unmistakable and had actually managed to deter her.

"What the hell is with that girl?" she muttered softly, "It's almost like she thought our fight was just a game or something..."

"You there!"

Ukyo was astonished that anyone could have snuck up behind her without her knowing, and she leaped to her feet drawing her baker's peel in one fluid motion as if expecting an attack. What she found instead was Kuno Tatewaki standing off a short distance in his Kendo Hakama, his expression level and not overtly hostile but neither welcome nor friendly, leaving Ukyo to wonder at his intentions.

"What do you want?" she challenged tensely.

"You are the one named Kuonji Ukyo...the woman who goes dressed like a man to symbolize her renunciation of her own sex to spite the boy whom you believe has betrayed you?" Tatewaki asked in a cool and casual manner.

"That's one way of putting it, I suppose," Ukyo replied, "So what is it to you?"

"I am a friend to the House of Tendo," the tall boy replied, "Kuno Tatewaki, age seventeen and by rights your Sempai.."

"Sempai?" Ukyo snorted, "Yeah, right..."

"I have come because you have extended your feud with Saotome Ranma to include members of the House of Tendo. I would ask that you desist in this endeavor."

"You ask?" Ukyo repeated with a skeptical expression, "You and what army?"

"Tendo Kasumi...is one I care for and would not wish to see harmed in any manner," Kuno replied, "I mean to challenge her in the hopes that one day I will be able to make her mine. Similarly I do not wish to see harm befall the youngest Tendo sister, Akane. I care little for the middle sister, but I suppose seeing her hurt would greatly distress the others, so I ask that you desist likewise."

"You're the guy they say runs most of the sporting clubs in this place," Ukyo noted, "They also say you put those guys up to attacking Akane every morning..."

"Phaw," Kuno said dismissively, "As if that mindless rabble would ever have a prayer at Heaven's gate of overwhelming her. They do that to assuage their own wounded egos, knowing that a 'mere' slip of a girl is more man than the lot of them put together. Nonetheless, I have tired of the sport and have relented to inform them that such childish antics will no longer be tolerated. Whatever mild amusement or exercise Akane once did derive from these encounters surely no longer even matters, not when Akane has other more demanding sport to occupy her attention."

"Hah?" Ukyo blinked her eyes, seeing the way the tall boy was nodding in her direction.

"I did hear of your encounter with Akane this noontime," Tatewaki revealed, "I arrived in time to witness an display of considerable dimension that actually tested the sweet flower of our campus to her limits. Though your battle was ended prematurely, it was plain enough to me that you are a worthy foe who can give fair Akane the sport that she has desperately needed. I come here merely to ask that you not carry matters farther than mere sparring else I think you will discover far more about her than you have intended."

"Excuse me?" Ukyo's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean by 'carry things farther?'"

"I am loath to say more," Kuno replied, "A gentleman does not sully himself by adding fuel to the already irresponsible and reckless slanders that others have hurled about the fair Tendo Akane. It is clear to me that you will be far more entertaining for her than the others on this campus, but I would be remiss if I did not give fair warning that there could be...unforeseen consequences to your actions."

"Let me see if I understand this right," Ukyo frowned, "You don't mind if I fight with her, but you're worried I might actually try to harm your precious little flower?"

"You are good, and possibly strong enough that you might well overwhelm her defenses," Kuno said simply, "But before that happens I think you may well make a discovery about sweet, innocent Akane that others have made before you. I cannot go into any details, but suffice it to say that there are...other reasons why Akane is so popular on this campus...what is reputedly the fantasy of most men and all that. In truth it is not any affair of mine, but that I would not wish to see Akane succumb to any further...temptations."

"Temptations?" Ukyo knew she was repeating things here, but at the moment she did not care as she tried to fathom out the arcane meaning in the roundabout allusions in the tall boy's statements.

"Indeed," Kuno nodded, "You are fair...in a manner that some would call Bishonen...and it could well be that you have intentions of your own in that regard, no doubt the result of the ill treatment that you received from the foul Saotome. It is a great sorrow for which the Heavens must weep that such a radiant flower of loveliness should disguise herself in manly raiment to spite such a lowly creature, but to carry it further in the discarding of your true sex would be a travesty unparalleled. I would ask that you not wound yourself in such an ill-thought manner and add fuel to the fire of Akane's own revulsion of her proper place as a woman."

Ukyo took a moment to try and decipher the speech before giving up in disgust and saying, "What the hell are you talking about? I just want revenge, my only interest in the Tendos is because they're school is the natural rival to my school..."

"And yet you would seek to bring Akane over to your side?" Kuno nodded shrewdly, "Well, that is your affair, not mine. However, in token gesture that you are new on this campus and cannot be expected to know of such things, I would give you fair warning about Kasumi. She is mine and in that we do have a conflict...not that I think that you pose any real danger to her, as skilled as you are bold and daring."

"Is that some kind of a threat?" Ukyo raised her baker's peel in challenge.

"Kuno Tatewaki does not deign to threaten women," the boy said a bit stiffly, "I will fight with you one day, if that is to be our fate, but until such time it is for your sake that I give fair warning. Kasumi is not one to be dismissed lightly, I well know this. You are strong and clearly a good fighter, but she is the best that I have ever witnessed, saving only for her Sensei, which should well go without further elaboration."

"Huh, we'll see about that, Sugar," Ukyo smiled a smile lacking humor and held her spatula at the ready.

"That we will indeed," Kuno replied, "Well, I have spoken my piece, now I will give you time to ponder my warnings. I bear you no ill will at the present, you who have just cause for vengeance, and I even wish you well against your true intended target. Just remember what I have said about Kasumi and Akane...it is not my wish to see you come to a bad end, it is rather my assurance that things will not end as you imagine. Oh...and I suppose I should say something about Nabiki, but in truth...I really cannot give much of a damn about that one. Do as you like...for now...and we will meet again when the fates do decree it."

Ukyo stood for a long time after the tall boy took his leave of the bell tower, then under her breath she muttered the words, "That...Jackass...!"

But whether she meant him or herself she could hardly say, because there was something in his veiled warning that disturbed her, and the young Sith apprentice felt a chill pass down her spine that had nothing to do with any shifting in the weather. She had the nagging sense that she was missing something that was glaringly obvious to the Samurai-wannabe that Ukyo knew to be significant, even if she could not quite put her finger on the matter. It was something about the Tendo sisters...Kasumi and Akane...and possibly even this new girl, Shampoo, that meant something significant for the future, but exactly what that was she was at a total loss to divine and probably would not understand until she had more reliable information.

"This is nuts," she growled to herself, scanning the horizon before turning to glance in the direction of the camp that she shared with her Sensei and fellow Sith. There was no way that she could return to camp with her thoughts in such disarray that it would tend to provoke questions for which Ukyo would have no answer.

"Curse you, Ranma," Ukyo snarled, knowing full well who she was starting to sound like as she said this, "This is all your fault! You'll pay for this someday, I swear it...!"

Ranma sneezed, then wondered why he had done so. His ears were also burning slightly, and he wondered if that had any significance to his training. He had never truly been sick a day in his life so it never even occurred to him to wonder if he might be coming down with the sniffles.

"Is there a problem, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked him from where she sat facing him a few meters away in the middle of the dojo, both of them sitting in a full lotus.

"Nah," Ranma dismissed, "Probably just got a little dust up my nostrils. Sorry I lost my concentration."

"Just relax and allow yourself to regain your focus, Ranma-kun," Kasumi smiled, "Don't use force to ease the mind...just think of a pool of ultimately still water coming to a rest as your thoughts drift away into nothing. You won't need to think or say anything when this happens...you will know when you find that ultimate stillness, and I will know when you have found it."

"Uh...right," Ranma said, wondering how in the hell he was supposed to act calm in the face of this incredible girl who was currently playing the part of his instructor. She was calm and gentle to a degree he had never even imagined, and kind towards him in a way no one else had ever been. As with Nabiki, she was beautiful beyond description without being overwhelming...and no where near as intimidating in that regard as Shampoo, who tended to flaunt her own considerable beauty in a totally unselfconscious and even brazen manner. Kasumi was simply beautiful both within and without, and it was her spirit that made him feel more than a little shy in her presence.

That such a girl could also have been throwing him around the room like a proverbial rag doll the night before just added further mystery to the picture. It was confusing the more that he came to know her as a person, how utterly approachable she was in certain areas, how unfathomable she could be in others. Not like with Nabiki, who was very approachable and altogether more earthy. Kasumi had an ethereal quality all her own that made him wonder if she were entirely real or just a phenomenon of his confused perceptions. He wanted to reach out and touch her just to confirm that she was real and solid, but he did not know how to frame the request in any conscious manner. The very warmth of her smile did something that caused his heart to beat a little faster, and that was not even going into the way he had so recently become aware of the dimensions of her lithe, well-trained body that moved in a very different sense from his own bulkier male form.

In truth it was more than a little like the confusion he felt whenever he was with Nabiki, a girl he found enormously attractive as a person but whom he could not figure out for the life of himself. Nabiki was ephemeral and mercurial on the inside, very much real on the outside, a riddle wrapped inside an enigma, and the more he got to know her the more he found himself coming up with new questions.

Just trying to relax was becoming a problem given what a presence she had, and the fact that his acute sense of smell could detect her aroma from the other side of the dojo. (She smells like cherry blossoms), his mind reported dreamily, (Nabiki smells a little more like cinnamon and...WHERE THE HECK DID THAT THOUGHT COME FROM?)

He was more than slightly shaken to realize that he could be this much affected by a girl he had only just met, but oddly enough he was enjoying the experience, and the memory of the softness of being hugged in this older girl in his arms was enough to send his senses reeling. Nabiki was-by contrast-a bit more aloof and stand-offish, but she often looked as though she needed a hug of her own, and that prompted Ranma to wonder what it would be like to hold her in his arms in an even more intimate manner, which in turn caused Ranma to feel a jolt of self-consternation, wondering privately if he really was turning into a Hentai!

(What is it with these two sisters?) he silently marveled, (And why do I feel such confusing stuff whenever I'm around them?)

That thought prompted the memory of the other Tendo girl, the one who had not warmed up to him on his first day living in their household. Akane was puzzling to him for very different reasons than either of her two older siblings, a contradiction he did not understand, and one he was not sure that he wanted to either. The hostility she had shown on the first couple of days had diminished in intensity to a more general bland indifference, not doubt the result of being "talked to" by Trieste and her sisters...

Or maybe not, Ranma realized with another odd turn of mental directions. Although he was not big on understanding things like psychology and behavior, he had noticed a remarkable change in Akane's general attitude upon her meeting up with Ukyo, and then Shampoo, which for some reason had seemed to distract her from her usual "I Hate Boys" tirade. It was odd to remark, now that he actually thought about it, but Akane did seem a lot friendlier when talking to his Amazon clan-sister. He wondered if it was just his imagination or was the youngest Tendo child really...?

(Naw, it couldn't be), he thought with chagrin, (Don't imagine stuff like that, Saotome, it ain't right to think stuff like that about a girl just 'cause she acts so Butch most of the time...)

Besides which there was a good chance that either Kasumi or Nabiki might hear him, and since he already knew these girls could read minds he was not about to get caught making such accusations to their hot-tempered sister. Besides which, it was more Shampoo's thing than his and he knew the Amazon could more than handle herself if Akane tried anything improper. He tried once again to let go of his conscious thoughts, content to let the matter of Akane slide for now, relegating it to the category of "somebody else's business...

Akane and Shampoo-as it just so happened-were sitting outside of the dojo enjoying the beauty of the small and neatly arranged garden, though in truth the bulk of Akane's attention seemed to be focused on her companion, and on thinking a recurring question over and over, (I wonder if that hair really is a natural color...)

"So," Akane asked after allowing a suitable silence to hang over the both of them, "What do you think about Japan? Is this really your first time in this country?"

Shampoo nodded, "The first time this one has ventured so far beyond her homeland. This one is very impressed with the homeland of her clan-sisters, the mountains here are very different from what we have in the Bayankalah ranges, though nothing quite compares to the sacred White Rock Mountain that lays just north of Joketsuzoku. You should come and see our country some day, you would find the experience most enlightening, this one wagers."

"You wager?" Akane asked, "You mean you bet?"

"This one...does have a taste for gambling," Shampoo reluctantly admitted, "A weakness that upsets her great grandmother. This one does try and curb that temptation, but...there is something about the element of risk that this one finds very...attractive. Of course with this one's familiarity with the Force there is far less that is taken to chance, and very few challenges that can actually test her."

"That's very...interesting," Akane murmured thoughtfully, "So...what do you usually bet on, and what are the stakes?"

Shampoo smiled a half-lidded smile as she easily read the budding interest in the other girl. Being no stranger to such flirtations, she casually remarked, "It would depend on what one held of sufficient value. This one has taken bets in the past that involved the exchange of...various favors."

"Oh?" Akane lifted an eyebrow at that, then a bit too casually noted, "My sister, Nabiki, also likes to gamble, but since she's clairvoyant it doesn't really work out for her so good, not unless it's something really random with a lot of variables..."

"This one did not know that we were talking about your sister," Shampoo noted in a sultry voice, "What sort of thing would you care to wager against this one?"

"Ah..." Akane said a bit shyly, "That all...depends...I'm not as good at making bets as my sister."

"This one sympathizes," Shampoo replied, "This one prefers to gamble on something that challenges her abilities and tests her resolve. If this one loses...then she will concede to you a favor."

"A...favor?" Akane asked, trying not to sound as interested as she was as she eyed the exotic Chinese girl, which naturally prompted her to ask, "Mind if I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Right," Akane softly growled at the gentle sarcasm of that comment, "Why do you always refer to yourself as 'This One?' Doesn't that get a little annoying at times? What's wrong with saying 'I,' 'Me' or 'My' instead of talking about yourself in the third person?"

"Forgive this one," Shampoo bobbed her head in token acknowledgement of the validity of the question, "In Chinese Mandarin it is not always considered appropriate to refer to one's self directly. Amazons are considered boastful and arrogant enough as it is without using excessive egoism. This one could use her name in place of 'This One,' but she might sound even more like a girl from the country if she did so."

"Heh, good point," Akane smirked, "Still, it wouldn't hurt you to try fitting in more with our language. 'This One's sounds way too formal, you ought to try using personal pronouns...I know that may seem hard, but your Japanese is pretty good in most other respects."

"This one thanks you for the compliment," Shampoo grinned, "Perhaps she will...I? I will try practicing to learn how to say this right."

"At least it'll make you sound less like a tourist," Akane stretched her legs as she coyly positioned herself on the steps of the dojo then flexed her toes a little before adding, "Will you be staying her for a while then?"

"This one...she cannot say," Shampoo replied, "Great-grandmother is coming, and when she arrives this one will know her course of action. For now this one...I...am? Am grateful to Big Sister and her family for allowing her to stay as a guest of this great house."

"And we're glad to have you with us," Akane grinned, "You must have an awful lot of stories that you could tell about Oneechan and the time you two spent together."

"This one has many stories," Shampoo's smile became more impish, "But she does not think that Big Sister would appreciate if she told all of what happened while they were together in China."

"Heh, I thought as much," Akane chuckled, "Sounds weird thinking of Kasumi as doing something like that...or even having a girlfriend. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

"Why would this one mind?" Shampoo replied, "Has this one done something of which she should be ashamed?"

"Not in my book," Akane sniffed, "But Dad...well...he can be a bit old-fashioned about some things. Mom's cool, though, she doesn't mind when I have...ah...friends up to my room...to study."

"Study?" Shampoo asked curiously, "May this one ask what it is that you study?"

"Ah..." Akane thought a moment then said, "Biology...no, make that Human Anatomy. Yeah...actually it could be pretty much on any subject you like. Ah...pardon me for asking but...this...guy you're seeing back in China?"

"Guy?" Shampoo looked puzzled.

Akane considered her words carefully then said, "You know...the person you said you were involved with?"

"Ah," Shampoo understood better this time, "Lo Xion..."

"Lotion?" Akane blinked, "Is that a name?"

"It is the name of the Amazon whom this one is...seeing, as you put it," Shampoo replied, "She is an apprenticed healer studying with this one's mother. Great grandmother does not approve of this one's involvement with a non-warrior, let alone one who cannot give her children, but this one does not always do as her Elders think is proper."

"Really?" Akane's interest level peaked, "You guys don't find it...weird or unnatural or anything like that?"

"What do you mean?" Shampoo asked.

"It's just..." Akane tensed a little and looked away, "Not everybody understands...I mean...they think a girl who isn't chasing after boys is...well...kind of Hentai..."

"What means the word 'Hentai?'" Shampoo asked with sincere confusion in her expression.

"Never mind," Akane felt her cheeks burning as she momentarily got flustered, then steadied herself with a deep breath and said, "I think it's great that you can get to do what you like with your...girlfriend. Do you two have a lot to say and do together?"

"Do?" Shampoo smirked, "We do much, this one and Lo Xion, and when we talk...we express ourselves with more than words...we...understand each other, just as this one understands when Lo Xion has a need to spend time with our other friend, Pur Fum."

"Perfume?" Akane eyed the girl beside her wryly, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you guys have some pretty funny names..."

"You think so?" Shampoo grinned back, "This one thinks Scarlet suit you well, it describes your face at the present."

"Huh?" Akane automatically reached up to feel her cheeks, then saw the other girl break into a wide grin and growled, "You...!"

"This one apologizes," Shampoo abruptly sobered (though Akane noticed a lingering crinkle of amusement around her eyes and lips), "The one's name...Xian Pu...it means 'Mountain Girl' in your language..."

"Really?" Akane arched an eyebrow, "Shampoo actually is a kind of coral in Japanese...but in English it would be something you wash your hair with."

"So this one has been informed," Shampoo said serenely, "You were wondering earlier if this one's hair is truly the color you see. Would you wish to see evidence that can prove this?"

"Huh?" it was rare for Akane to be caught off guard like this, but the very forwardness of that statement left her momentarily speechless.

"This one is new to Japan and a stranger to your customs," Shampoo replied, "But even in China we are familiar with the term of 'Checking One Out,' and if this one is not too mistaken, that is what you have been doing for the past hour."

"Ah..." Now Akane's cheeks were really scalded crimson, but with an effort she rallied her sense of propriety and said, "But...what about your girlfriend in China?"

To her surprise Shampoo leaned closer then murmured in Akane's ear, "Lo Xion is in China, Xian Pu is in Japan and we have an...understanding between us. Lo Xion will not blame this one if she seeks to make closer ties with her oath sisters."

Akane swallowed on a suddenly thick lump that was in her throat, and her voice was a bit unsteady as she gasped, "Ah...by the way...I've been meaning to ask you...would you like to see my room? It's on the second floor of our house..."

"This one thought you would never ask," the purple haired Amazon purred like an amorous kitten and nuzzled Akane's earlobe, allowing the other girl to get a strong whiff of her scent, which smelled like a faint brand of lilac-tinted perfume in the nostrils of the youngest Tendo sister.

Without need of a further word being spoken between them, Akane got up and took Shampoo by the hand, who graciously accepted the gesture as the two of them retired to the house, not to be seen for many hours that would follow (though quite possibly heard as the walls to Akane's room were hardly soundproofed).

Back in the dojo Ranma sensed the two girls were leaving and briefly wondered what this odd feeling was that he had felt coming from their direction, then decided it did not matter at the moment and silently returned to his meditations, his mind beginning to drift freely as he felt the warming presence of Kasumi guide him gently on the path of ultimate bliss and contentment...

Nabiki Tendo sighed as she lay back on her bed and contemplated the wood patterns of the ceiling. She supposed that she really ought to be doing something constructive with her time, but her shoulder still ached as a lingering reminder of her injury and she was more in a mood to sit around and feel sorry for herself than perform any of her usual routine labors.

The wound had mostly healed by now, due in no small part to Trieste-Sensei's skills and training, as well as the Healer arts practiced by both Kasumi and that Shampoo girl. She still felt a twinge now and then, especially when she tried to lift something or move her arm in a certain direction. (At least it's out of that damned sling), she thought in acid consolation, still smarting more from the fact that she had been injured than the injury itself, which had fortunately proven to be more superficial than fatal.

She listened to the sounds of the house, then to the notable lack of sounds coming from the dojo. I guess Kasumi's started training Ranma in meditative techniques, She sighed to herself, adding sourly, (I wanted to do that! I think it would be fun getting to feel his spirit and absorb some of that warrior manliness he radiates like a beacon. I mean, not to put Kasumi down, but what's she going to do when she feels his dormant libido? The guy barely even knows he has a sex-drive, but the moment he finds out what it's good for-WHOOOOO!)

It gave her some small satisfaction in knowing that there were a few areas in which she was more knowledgeable than her older sister. Kasumi's whole temperament had been geared towards the spiritual and mental sides of the art with less of the raw emphasis on lower emotional passions. Kasumi rarely felt any emotional extremes such as fear, anger and hate, which was what made her such a perfect apprenticed Jedi, but relate to the more common and mundane emotions of daily existence? It fairly boggled Nabiki's imagination to even think of Kasumi in any kind of sexual context.

(Well...there was that rather broad hint about her doing it with Shampoo, but how much of that can I believe?) Nabiki thought to herself in mild irony, (Maybe I should chew that new girl out for seducing my na ve older sister, but I really can't see Kasumi turning into a rug-muncher. Heck, I can't even see her doing it with a GUY! And I know that Tofu-Sensei or Kuno would be happy to volunteer for that assignment...)

Of course that also prompted her to think about the strange sexual chemistry that she HAD been feeling coming from BOTH Kasumi and their mutual iinazuke. There was no denying that Kasumi had an interest in Ranma that was unusually personal and very intense, for all her attempts to hide it. This was odd in light of Kasumi's often-stated despair at finding most young men as "Too Young," and one certainly could make a case around the idea that Ranma was no poster boy of mature and responsible behavior.

(But for all of that), Nabiki mused, (The boy does come with some...interesting compensations...)

Then another thought occurred to her...an exchange that she and Ranma had shared earlier in the day when the both of them had shared a lunch together. It had been a fairly awkward affair, Ranma still recovering from the incredible surprise that he had received the previous night in his match against Kasumi, but it turned out that he had another issue in mind on this occasion, bringing up a subject that Nabiki had expected would one day be raised, but which-at that moment-she had not been fully prepared to handle.

"Nabiki," he had asked, "Why does that Kuno guy keep calling you a Mercenary?"

"Ah..." Nabiki had hesitated, glad that the food she had been about to swallow was still on the end of her chopsticks and not her mouth, "That's...kind of a long story, Ranma-kun..."

"I figured as much," Ranma had replied, "That's why I'm asking."

Nabiki carefully set her half-eaten lunch to one side and said, "It's...well...it's kind of like this. About six or seven years ago our Sensei, Trieste, had been going to the market with Kasumi when she felt this...sense of disturbance in the force. It drew her to a mansion belonging to the Kuno family, and there Trieste found the lady of the house, Kuno Hitome, was about to commit seppuku..."

"Seppuku?" Ranma gasped, his own brief encounter with his mother coming to mind with chilling clarity in the realization of what his father had promised.

"Yeah," Nabiki looked apologetically at him, "Don't let it get around that I told you this, Tatewaki would be furious if he knew I let the cat out of the bag..." she paused when she saw Ranma reflexively shudder and belatedly realized what she had just said, to which she apologized, "Sorry..."

"No problem," Ranma replied with false stoicism, "So...what happened?"

"Trieste prevented the suicide and got Kuno's mother the help she needed," Nabiki answered, "It was the beginning of a kind-of friendship that started between our two houses. The Kunos felt they owed Sensei a debt of honor, and Trieste volunteered to coach Hitome in various mind techniques that could help ward off her clinical depression. From what I understand the lady had even deeper problems and was even abusing her kids, which is partly why Tatewaki is kind of the way he is...a bit eccentric, although nowhere near as bad as with his younger sister. Well, anyway...as I may have implied here, the Kunos are pretty wealthy...and in case you couldn't guess, we Tendos are anything but."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that one out," Ranma said with typical self-effacing irony.

"It's not that our parents don't try to put food on the table," Nabiki continued, "But we only have a very few paying students who regularly frequent the dojo, and it's not as if we can make training in the Anything Goes system, let alone training in the Force, open to just anybody. Only certain people have the right discipline, temperament and mindset."

"Yeah, I can see that would be a problem," Ranma murmured.

"Well..." Nabiki squirmed uncomfortably on the bench that they were sharing, "As you may also have heard, we Jedi aren't supposed to be too concerned with things like...material possession...but for crying out loud, I was eleven at the time we met, and I...kind of had this crush on Tachi..."

"You what?" Ranma arched his eyebrows.

"Yeah, it was stupid, what did you expect?" Nabiki did not meet his eyes as she stared at the ground, "We were both the same age and we're both a pair of loners...well, sort of. He's quite the romantic at heart and he likes to read poetry and sonnets. I learned a lot about Shakespeare from hanging around with him and for a while I thought he was...interesting. So...okay, he didn't notice me back but started paying more attention to Kasumi. Well...I was pretty hurt about that, let me tell you, so being the willful child that I was, I decided to pay him back by playing what I thought were some fairly...harmless jokes at his expense. Hey, it's not like I did anything that he hasn't taken worse from his own sister! I mean, she's a real Nut when you get down to it, a regular practical joker."

"So, what did you do?" Ranma asked.

"Oh...nothing violent or obscene...well, not too obscene anyway," Nabiki amended, "Let's just say it involved him waking up in a bathtub with a goat while his underwear was left hanging from a flag pole. I mean...it was stupid, and painting his face like that was kind of cruel, I admit, but then again, so was taking his picture like that then threatening to publish it in the school paper if he didn't pay me for the negatives..."

"You did what?" Ranma blinked, then laughed out loud at the mental image this conjured up.

"Hey, I was fourteen, give me a break!" Nabiki protested, "Kasumi was away in China studying all kinds of stuff while Akane and me were left to our own devices. I was bored to tears sitting around doing nothing but practicing my meditations, so I thought I'd get a little amusement while paying Tachi back for insulting me. Anyway, I did other things like that until Mom found out and told me not to, and ever since...well...he kind of hung the Mercenary label on me and it's managed to stick. I do have quite a reputation around town as someone who it's not safe to mess with, and most boys who see me go reaching for their wallets."

"Can't say I've got much to protect," Ranma said, still grinning as he thought about Kuno in the compromising situation she had outlined, "But you don't seem like such a Mercenary to me."

"That's because I'm trying to live down what I did in the past, Ranma-kun," Nabiki found herself smiling in spite of her nervousness over how he would react to her admissions, "These days I do favors for people, and sometimes I accept money as compensation, but I don't demand it like I used to."

"Favors?" Ranma asked, "Such as?"

"Well," Nabiki sighed, "Like I told you before, I'm something of a clairvoyant. I can sense things, people, images, and events...sometimes randomly, but I'm getting better at perceiving things on which I have a focus. People come to me with their problems and I try to help them...and if they give me something for it...well...I only refuse if I know they can't afford it."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Ranma said, "I'd call that using your gifts to help others, and so what if you get paid for it, as long that's not the only reason that you do it."

"Mighty generous of you to think so," Nabiki said in rue, "I also do repair work on electronics for people who ask me. I've got this...thing with machines, I'm pretty good at taking things apart and putting things together. You may have noticed that I'm the one who built Kasumi's Light Saber."

"Really, wow!" Ranma sounded genuinely impressed, "You've got a lot of talents, and you're so smart...and...ah...well..." he glanced away and mumbled, "I just think it makes you kinda special..."

"You do?" Nabiki was surprised, "You don't mind that I really am a mercenary?"

"So you work for hire, so what?" Ranma asked, "I'd hardly call that mercenary."

"You may think so," Nabiki winced, "But Trieste was furious with me when she found out about the goat thing. Oh, Sensei never really gets mad as you and I might understand it, but I could tell she was less than happy about my behavior when she was out showing Kasumi the ways of the Jedi. She called it small minded and petty, and I have to concede that she had a point. For one thing it had the opposite result from what I'd intended with Tatewaki. He can't even look at me now without snarling. I take it as a moral lesson not to treat people like a commodity. The Force does not discriminate between rich and poor, the strong and the weak, the smart and the stupid. If I forget that and start worrying only about the accumulation of money and material possessions then I'll lose sight of what's really important."

"I guess I can relate to that," Ranma said, "Pop and me never had much of anything, and whatever money we got went through our fingers as fast as we could get it. I don't steal like he does, and I don't drink myself stupid, but I've...ah...done stuff I'm not too proud of either, so you won't hear me saying nothing bad about it."

Nabiki had not thought it possible that her estimation of Ranma could go up another notch, but the boy just kept on surprising her in ways that could bring a smile to her face, and as she thought about his boyish grin she recalled all but falling over with laughter when he cheerfully called out, "Hey, Goat-Face!" to a passing Tatewaki.

It was with no little amazement that she saw Kuno bristle in rage but stoically turn and walk away without dignifying the insult with a comment. It was probably one of the only times she had known the arrogant boy that Kuno had not risen to the bait of an insult, and on any other occasion it might have concerned her, but instead it made her feel better knowing that she was not being rejected because of her..."youthful indiscretions."

She just hoped that Ranma would be as sanguine when other skeletons of her past came back to haunt her.

Just thinking about the newest member of their rather eclectic school of Jedi training brought a feeling of warmth to her breast and she wished fervently that she could be the one to mesh minds and souls with Ranma in Meditative transfer. As she was thinking this she heard a knock on her door, which startled her out of her reverie, as she had not been expecting company at this particular hour of the evening. She hardly needed to express a thought before she realized just who it was who as asking for admittance, so without getting up from the bed, she mentally undid the latches to her door to admit the other party.

She stood up slowly from her bedding as the door to her room swung open to reveal the graceful Jedi Mistress. Trieste's dark eyes radiated her concern, but as was her usual practice, Trieste did not embarrass her student with emotion, simply asked, "How are you doing, Nabiki-chan?"

Nabiki smiled lopsidedly, knowing where this was going.

"Terrible," she asserted. "I got my ass kicked and I was embarrassed in front of m-our fianc e," she corrected hurriedly, blushing furiously at the knowing smile that appeared on her teacher's face.

Trieste pointedly ignored Nabiki's attempts to stifle her embarrassment, and simply asked, "Why was that, do you suppose?"

Nabiki sighed, "I wasn't ready...or good enough. Or both."

Trieste nodded then conceded, "Possibly."

Nabiki looked at her teacher askance.

"Right," she said dryly. "So, What's up? I thought you'd be with Kasumi training Ranma on meditation and mind techniques."

"Kasumi is more than capable of handling matters at the early stage of the boy's training," Trieste replied, "But when Ranma has mastered the basics I would like you to be present to help us out with the next stage of developments."

Nabiki came to full attention, "You...what?"

"I believe that young Master Saotome will profit greatly from your presence," Trieste explained, "He has a good and supportive teacher in Kasumi, but competition can also be an effective tool for motivating a student who has such a strongly competitive nature. It has the added benefit of furthering your own training in the ways of the Force..."

"Furthering?" Nabiki repeated.

"Indeed," Trieste nodded, "In spite of the somewhat...brutal assessment that you have made of your own performance, you have a great deal more skill in the use of the Force than I had anticipated would be the case at this stage of your life. You fared better against a highly trained Sith apprentice than I had any right to expect, and because you came away with nothing worse than a scratch to the shoulder, I would judge that you are ready to advance to a whole new level."

Nabiki blinked at this, "I am? I mean...I'm grateful that you believe I'm ready, Sensei, but...why?"  
"To move towards your eventual graduation as a Jedi Knight, of course," Trieste said, a teasing note in her voice, but her eyes were serious and searching Nabiki's. Currently, Nabiki's eyes were as wide as they would go.

"I never thought...I mean..." the middle Tendo sister stuttered.

"Did you think that I trained Kasumi first because she was the only one who had the potential to be a Jedi?" Trieste interjected.

Nabiki nodded, "Yeah. You never said otherwise, and so I figured, that Akane and me had been trained as far as we could go..."

"Not at all, Nabiki-chan," Trieste assured her, "Granted, Kasumi came first, but only because she has potential far beyond anything I have ever seen, saving only for our young Master Saotome," she amended with a gentle smile as she studied the younger girl's expression.

Nabiki was still having trouble believing her ears.

"So...even though I'm not as strong in the force as they are, I could still become a Jedi?" she asked incredulously.

Trieste again nodded, "All of your father's daughters are strong in the Force, Nabiki. For that matter, your mother has vast, unguessed at potential of her own, and had I taken them on a students ten years ago they, too, might have both become fully accomplished Jedi."

"Wow," Nabiki mused, then something else occurred to her, "Are you extending this invitation to Akane, too?"

Trieste's serene look turned slightly pained.

"Perhaps in time," she allowed, "There is much about your sister's attitude of late that troubles me. I understand that she is going through some...difficult phases in her life, and I am willing to extend her the benefit of the doubt, but I'm afraid that she will require...special handling for the moment."

"Yeah...I guess she will at that," Nabiki slowly nodded.

"My decision there is not fixed, of course," the Jedi Mistress quickly amended, "But you may have noticed that she has experienced some difficulties of late in controlling her temper..."  
"I'd hoped you'd noticed that, Sensei," Nabiki commented, carefully observing her teacher, "She seems a lot angrier at Ranma-kun than some of her usual tantrums..."

Trieste nodded slowly, "She has allowed wounded pride to dominate her dealings with him. If she is not careful, she will allow the dark side a foothold into her soul."

Nabiki nodded grimly, saying nothing for the moment. Trieste watched Nabiki carefully as the teen Force adept pondered the invitation that she had just been given, and after a silent moment, she prompted, "Nabiki-chan?"

Nabiki looked torn, "But...I have plans for my life...I can't be some kind of warrior!"

Trieste smiled fondly and gently chided her pupil, "Child, being of the Jedi does not preclude you taking part in a normal life. Jedi Knights are of all walks of life and all occupations...merchants, engineers, scientists, tradesman...in fact, one of the most famous of the Jedi Knights is not only an apprentice to her brother, but was a leader in the old galactic republic to which I once belonged. Besides that she is the mother of three. Your own sister is attending school to become a healer of this world, and one day very soon I dare think she will even be a Doctor."

Nabiki looked mildly surprised at this.

"I wouldn't be some kind of...outcast if I wanted a career after my training?" she asked with a hesitant expression.

Trieste laughed, "Of course not, so long as whatever you do with your life is guided by the light side of the Force," she added with a smile of infinite warmth.

Nabiki still looked undecided. Trieste smiled mischievously and said, "I do hope that you will, Nabiki. Ranma would benefit greatly from your company. He has been...depressed about his inability to rescue you from the Kuonji girl..."

She hated to play on her student's all too obvious affection for her iinazuke, but Trieste could sense that Nabiki was slowly talking herself into her proposal. In spite of herself, and the painful recent memories, Nabiki smiled her teacher's statement and nodded.

"That baka," Nabiki said warmly, thinking of how protective Ranma had been towards her since the fight against Kuonji.

Trieste noted that her pupil was nearly won over, so she simply added, "Look on it as an opportunity, child. You can continue your travels into a larger world, stopping when and if you choose. You may also regain the ability to protect yourself from those who would harm you and your loved ones."

That decided it for Nabiki, "All right Teach, I'm willing to do it. For...for Ranma's sake, at least."

Trieste nodded understandingly, "Of course, it is all for the good of your mutual training."

Nabiki shared a warm, knowing smile with her mentor, but then the both of them heard sounds coming from one wall of the room and turned their heads accordingly, and through no great use of the Force perceived two auras moving together towards the bedding in the next room.

"What the...?" Nabiki gasped.

"Oh my," Trieste lifted an eyebrow, "Perhaps I've greatly underestimated the mental resilience of your sister."

"You mean...AKANE?" Nabiki reacted, then paused as she allowed her senses to open wide as her awareness expanded to inform her of the identity of the other party currently grappling with her younger sister, "Shampoo? What...?"

"And here I was afraid that her personal growth was being stunted," Trieste mused softly, then gently took Nabiki by the arm and said, "Let's give them some privacy, shall we? I think it's time for the both of us to have a look in on how your sister is doing with Ranma. I'll speak with your mother later to see that your father does not imprudently disturb the meditations of your sister."

"Meditations?" Nabiki said with lifted eyebrows, "Well...if you want to call it that, I suppose. I just hope they take it easy on the floorboards. Akane plays real rough, and I've got a feeling that Shampoo character is no slouch when it comes to pressing the old futon."

"Time will tell what comes of this," Trieste replied, "But I think for now it would be safe to say that neither one of them is currently indulging in the dark side."

"Yeah, but one question though," Nabiki paused at the door to her room, hearing a soft moan penetrating through into the hallway, "Is there such a thing as the PINK side to the Force, Sensei?"

Trieste's gentle laughter could be heard all the way down to the study, where Soun Tendo briefly looked up from reading a magazine, then shrugged his shoulders and went back to reading. After all, there were some things that any smart father knew better than to get involved with...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Karaoke Knight on the Ritz: shadowmane

Okay, so the first one to make it to the bedroom sweepstakes is...AKANE? (And some people think I never do anything nice for the Violent Tomboy-heh!) So what happens next with Ranma, Kasumi, Nabiki and all the rest of the gang? Well...Mousse and Ryoga have been chewing at the bit, and Ukyo is still trying to get her bearings "straight," while Purge continues to take stock of Kuno Tatewaki, and a certain Amazon Elder is waiting in the wings to make her appearance. Be with us next time for, "Karma chasing the Dogma," or "Duck and Pig-Out!" Be there!

X

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	12. Chapter 12

JediKasumi12

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader &amp;  
Brandon Kelley

Chapter Twelve.

Duck the Mousse

Ukyo finally returned to her camp after regaining her equilibrium and composure. There was no sense appearing before her master with her thoughts in disarray and her emotions in such confusion as they had been just following her confrontation with Kuno Tatewaki. As much as it galled her to admit it, there was little point in allowing her inner conflicts to become public knowledge among her fellow Sith apprentices, especially that irritating Taro Pantsaru.

"Damned bull-headed freak," she muttered under her breath before reaching their secret encampment, "Thinks he's good enough to replace me...but just let him try! I'll cut him down to size real fast..."

She, of course, did not voice these sentiments aloud when she did finally come within earshot of Taro, knowing the arrogant boy's tendency to take any insult as a challenge to his combat ability [and on a physical level, at least, he did have quite a sizeable advantage]. Her forte was in the use of the Force, an area where Taro was still a relative novice. Ukyo had more imagination and intuitive perception of the workings of a Sith Lord and could out-think and outfight the boy so long as any battles between them were fought on her own level.

To her surprise this time, Taro barely acknowledged her return with a mere head nod, then hooked his thumb in the direction of Darth Purge, who was sitting near to the small camp fire casually tending to a pot of some unmentionable gruel that only superficially bore resemblance to Miso stew. Purge did not even bother to look up at her when he spoke with the inevitably implied question disguised as a casual observation, "You've been out for quite a while now. Were you keeping you late for your classes?"

"No," Ukyo stubbornly refused to be baited into explaining her conduct and instead raised another point that she had taken notice of in passing, "Where are Mousse and Ryoga?"

"A good question," Purge replied, "We came to the camp and found it deserted. I believe that Mousse, having gotten wind that the object of his fascination is near at hand, has gone off on his own in a blind attempt to find her. Hibiki appears to have wandered off on his own...and the Force alone knows where he's gotten himself off to this time."

"Losers," Taro sniffed but elected not to elaborate on his statement.

"Mousse has gone to find that Shampoo girl?" Ukyo sniffed, "Good luck to him, he's gonna need it. Way I see it, she's nothing but trouble, and anyway, he's been more of a pain to be around than usual."

"Granted," Purge acknowledged, "His demented infatuation has been distracting him from his lessons, and it would only be fitting should he fall victim to his lack of control over his sex drive. You humans and your mating rituals..." he snorted through his nostrils.

Ukyo sat down on a log and examined the miso, taking the ladle from her Master, "Most guys aren't any better when it comes to thinking with their dicks, but he's biting off more than he can chew if he thinks he can win his girl over by challenging her to a fight. I fought with her once and she's definitely had some pretty advanced training. Not as good as us, of course, but she's definitely a lot stronger than him, and arguably more intelligent, though more than a little top-heavy."

"Good riddance if he gets his head handed to him," Taro joined in, "I'd have done the job myself if he kept it up any longer with his ranting about Saotome..."

"Ranchan?" Ukyo looked up, "What do you mean?"

"He seems to think your boyfriend is after his girl," Taro explained, "Last I heard him go on, he's probably thinking of attacking him and sweeping his girl off her feet like some Tarzan. With his bad eyesight, he'll be lucky if he can even recognize the guy from our fight the other day."

"Oh..." Ukyo returned her attention to the miso, sipping it before deciding that it was not totally unsalvageable if she coaxed the flavor a little by adding more curry.

"You are concerned that he might harm the boy?" Purge asked, studying his Padawan carefully as he detected the strange surge of emotions within her.

Ukyo did not look up as she replied, "I don't want anybody but me being the one to crush Ranchan's life. If Mousse is actually stupid enough to try anything, I'll be sure and break both legs, then pluck out his pinfeathers."

"Sounds like love to me," Taro sneered, but Ukyo wold not rise to the bait so he frowned before he continued, "Anyway, what's the big deal about the punk? I thought we were going after those Jedi women. I'd like to get a crack of my own on the really tall girl..."

"You are not yet ready to face her," Purge cautioned, "Her power exceeds your own, and you would never even come close to touching her, let alone use your cursed form to physically overwhelm her like you imagine. Be patient a while longer and continue your studies, and when you grow strong enough in the ways of the Force, then you can choose your targets for elimination."

"Besides, she's not the real threat here," Ukyo cautioned, "It's Lady Trieste herself, she's the one the others rely on for spiritual guidance."

"Good, you are thinking," Purge nodded in approval, "She is the one we must deal with...take her out and the others will fall. The Jedi line will come to an end when she and her padawan are dealt with, then you can take your time exacting your revenge against the one who wronged you."

"Good," Ukyo responded, determined to see through with this plan, though something inside her started questioning the wisdom of this course of action. She stubbornly kept this tiny voice trampled deep down, knowing that she could not show such weakness in front of her Master, and knowing that to contradict him-especially in front of Taro-would be to compromise her place as his right hand servant.

A brief thought of Akane came back into mind, but she decided that dealing with the youngest Tendo would be a separate matter of concern, one that she would deal with in good time...one way or another...

"Uh...hello, anybody up here?" Ranma tentatively asked as he lowered the steps leading up to the attic, then cautiously ascended those steps in order to look in on the uppermost interior space within the Tendo household.

"Nabiki?" he asked, adjusting his eyes to the sight of a cluttered desk off to one side, and a variety of odd devices and contraptions spaced all about what was nominally a storage chamber. Off to one side he saw a form move from where it had been laying on a pallet near the vent that served as a nominal window.

"Ranma-kun?" this figure asked in an all-too-familiar voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah...sorry," Ranma apologized, "Your mother wanted me to let you know that dinner will be ready soon. Er...she said you were probably up here after I couldn't find you in your room or the dojo. Ah...what exactly is this place anyway?"

"Oh," Nabiki stretched and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, "This is my workshop. Sorry," she yawned, "Felt kind of tired to I thought I'd get a quick cat-nap..." she sensed a slight shudder from the boy she considered her iinazuke and wince, "Sorry...poor choice of words that..."

"Ah...no problem," Ranma swallowed, mastering his involuntary reaction to the word 'cat', "Er...your work room? What do you do here?"

"Oh...well..." Nabiki smiled as she rolled off her futon and crouched low to avoid the rafters, "This is where I make stuff and do my experiments. It's really Mom's idea...she says I don't have space enough in my room and besides, this way I get to vent off some of the fumes my work produces without stinking up the house."

"Experiments?" Ranma repeated.

"Uh...yeah," Nabiki smiled sheepishly, "I'm kind of a tinkerer and inventor, remember? I create stuff up here like the spare Lightsabers everyone uses. It's really quite fascinating stuff, but I don't know if you'd understand it..."

"Why, because I'm some kind of a brainless jock?" Ranma sniffed.

"Er..." Nabiki colored, "I never said you were that...brainless, that is..."

"Okay, I'm a jock," Ranma amended, "So does that mean I can't figure out stuff? I mean...sure it's gotta be pretty hi-tech and all that, but it don't mean I can't at least look, right?"

"Actually the technology may look complicated, but it's pretty simple when you understand it," Nabiki nodded to the array of devices all around her, "The problem is that you just can't walk over to the local hardware store and pick up the stuff I need to create the devices Oneechan uses. I needed to learn from Aunt Trieste how the technology works where she came from, then use local technology to create the devices that create the devices that make the stuff I need. I've been at it since I was very little and I think the results speak for themselves, don't you?"

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "So...how do you make Lightsabers anyway?"

Nabiki smiled, "I thought you'd never ask, Ranma-kun."

She showed him to a set of shelves that lines one inclined wall of the attic, indicating what looked to Ranma to be a set of bowls set over a large tub and connected to each other by a series of plastic tubes through which a kind of pumping action seemed to be taking place. The stuff in the bowls had a slightly acrid odor, but it was an interesting array, like a home-grown chemistry lab in which some kind of colorful crystals were being grown like kind of high school project, though Ranma could not decide which were the more pretty, the white, blue or red crystals that he observed there.

"This is where I grow the circuits and main controlling crystals that I use in my devices," Nabiki explained, "There really isn't any facility on Earth that can do what I do here, and that's mainly because these are highly compacted and complex circuitry crystals whose dense molecular nature can only be grown from a seed and nurtured to produce whatever I need. When Trieste first came here she had only her own personal devices on hand, but by breaking them apart it was possible to use the crystals in her spare devices to grow an entire new batch of crystals the same way you'd grow a bacterial culture, using the matrix pattern the say way you'd use a DNA strand. No way could this be done through conventional means, but Mistress Trieste knows how to do this using homemade materials, so it's just a matter of knowing what you are doing."

"Wow," Ranma said, "And you know how to do this?"

"I have a gift for understanding how to work these gadgets," Nabiki replied, "Making and repairing them is my specialty and hobby. As a Force Master I intuitively know what to do and how to tweak things in order to achieve the best results long before I even get to the testing phase. Without the control circuits, or the focusing crystals, the rest of this would all be for nothing. After all, a Lightsaber is a pretty sophisticated piece of equipment, and it takes a lot of concentrated energy to create and tightly focus, a beam of intense laser energy. Ordinarily it would take a large generator just to create an electron flow powerful enough to create and maintain the saber beam itself, but the workings of these circuits help to create a cylinder that focuses a kind of low-resistance chamber where the electron oscillation used to generate the beam itself is intensified to the Nth degree. In other words, it takes far less power to create the beam and the energy field that holds and contains it within the precise focus of the saber-beam itself..."

"Huh?" Ranma asked, not able to follow more than a few words in that whole statement.

Nabiki smiled at him, "How much do you know about basic science? Never mind, I can tell that wasn't a big thing with your father and his ideas about training."

"Uh...yeah," Ranma admitted, not liking having to confess a weakness in front of this girl who was clearly so much smarter than himself.

"Well...stop me if I get too technical," Nabiki urged, "But it's like this. All matter is composed of energy fields...there really is no such thing as solid matter at all, it's just an arrangement of carefully balanced forces, like the hard and soft of the Tao. The only difference is between solid and fluid, between fixed and mobile, the energy that is held in a balance of relationships that our senses perceive as either light or solid matter. Are you with me so far?"

"Ah...sort of..." Ranma nodded.

"Okay," Nabiki sighed, "Living energy suffuses everything, it's an infinite flow of the fundamental force of life energy...what you'd call Ki in martial arts. All other energies are of lesser magnitude, following into one of three categories...Tardyon, Luxon and Tachyon forces. These three terms describe energy that either moves slower than light, at the speed of light or faster than light itself, and all three obey the laws of Electrodynamics, but all three are vastly inferior to the Force itself. That's because the Force is the basic energy of the cosmos, while the other three are just lesser phenomenon, effects of the greater cause. In other words, we ourselves draw upon the Fundamental force within ourselves, but our devices use the lesser forces to power our technology. It's always important to keep in mind that one can affect the other, but one must never confused The Force with the Lesser Forces."

"Okay," Ranma said, "So the Force we use is more powerful because it's more basic?"

Nabiki beamed proudly at her pupil, "You've got it in a nutshell. Now...let's see if you can follow me on this. When I say that solid matter is just energy fields held together by interactive fields held together in a stable relationship, I mean that this energy is like water frozen in the form of ice. Ki is like steam, like air, like a more refined essence of this energy, but if you slow it down you create ice, and that ice takes the form of particles that compose the atomic structure of all matter. Atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, photons, muons, neutrinos, Baryons, the entire Nuclear Zoo of particles, right on down to Quarks and Gluons, all of them are just different forms of the same thing, just different related species of the greater family of subatomic matter."

"Um...you kind of lost me there around the part when you said matter is like ice..." Ranma admitted.

Nabiki smiled again, "Don't sweat it. I'll ratchet it back a bit and make it extremely simple. You know what an atom is, right?"

"Sure," Ranma said, "I remember that much from my early schooling."

"Okay," Nabiki used her hands to make illustrative gestures, "Then you know that the classic Niels Bohr model you have the proton in the center, the electron orbiting around the proton, and the Neutron that shares the center stage with the Proton and helps to balance the whole arrangement. Now...the electron has a fixed orbit, called a Shell, and as it orbits it generates a resonance that you can think of as a humming vibration that remains steady and constant so long as the orbit itself remains stable. But add energy to the equation and the electron will jump an orbit, which is called absorption. When it returns to its natural orbit it releases this energy again, which causes the frequency to shift, which in turn causes the electron to generate a photon that leaves the orbit of the electron, and that photon is the light we can see, the part of the energy spectrum that we call Electromagnetism. Only a tiny part of that spectrum is visible to the naked eye, the rest has either too long or too short a vibrational frequency for our eyes to pick up. The distance is measured in tiny units called angstroms, and the more agitated the photonic particle is the more intense is the effect of this electromagnetic energy. All light moves at the same speed but the more intense the light, the shorter the length of its vibration, the greater the effect it can have upon solid matter. Now...have I lost you already?"

"Kind of," Ranma shrugged, "Like I say, science stuff isn't really my specialty."

"Don't sweat it," Nabiki smiled, "Only eggheads like me can comprehend this stuff, I'm just giving you an extremely simplified explanation. The point to keep in mind is that it ordinarily takes a fixed amount of energy to cause an electron to skip an orbit and thus eject a photon. By this measurement it takes a great deal of energy to cause enough electrons to release enough photons to create a strong enough beam to be used effectively as a weapon. However...and this is the key point that I'm trying to make here, it is possible, using the equipment which I create here, to create a small, tightly focused field within a ruby cylinder in which the normal rules of electromagnetic attraction can be effectively suspended. Within that field the amount of energy that is needed to agitate the electron field goes way, way down to where a simple battery charge can produce a million times the number of joules that it takes to generate a Lightsaber energy beam. This circuitry holds this energy field in a fixed place, roughly a meter in length and kept together within an area of force that concentrates the laser energy into a beam so hot that it can cut right through solid steel as if it were butter."

"Oh, I get it now," Ranma said, "You use this to make those energy things, like that Naginata you used in the school yard."

"Exactly," Nabiki patted his cheek, "You can be taught, and you got a lot more down in one sitting than most people I know. Not bad for a barbarian who hasn't had much in the way of a formal education."

"Well hey," Ranma shrugged, "You gotta have some wits to survive on the road, you know..."

"I was teasing you," Nabiki said, "Actually, I meant it as a compliment. You're definitely smarter than I first took you for, Ranma-kun, which goes to show that even my judgement can sometimes be faulty."

"Heh...well..." Ranma shrugged, "What powers these things? Somehow I don't think you'd use a flashlight battery, right?"

"Indeed," Nabiki acknowledged, pointing off to a separate arrangement of homemade devices, "I fashion my own power sources over there, and believe me, the batteries I use are about a thousand times more powerful than anything you'd put into a mere flashlight. A standard Lightsaber carries a charge that can last up to twenty-eight minutes of continuous usage. Beyond that it takes hours to recharge the bloody things, and you wouldn't believe what our electric bills would be like if I didn't use solar collectors to help augment the process. As a safety precaution I always make sure that a spare battery is carried along in the extended handle of the sabers I produce. I also gave Kasumi a portable solar collector to recharge her batteries while she and Lady Trieste were on training missions They also have a special drain setting to draw power from any available source in a pinch."

"Wow, you can make all this stuff," Ranma was impressed, "How come you don't sell some of these gizmos and make a fortune?"

"That would be a problem," Nabiki sighed, "I don't mind licensing out a few patents with a few major industries, but if they knew how to make half of what's in this attic they could easily convert our secrets to make killer laser satellites and weapons far more terrible than anything which is currently on the market. Better to let bits and pieces trickle down to the general public than to give a major corporation the means of changing the balance of power over the whole Earth itself."

"Guess all that makes sense," Ranma ran his fingers over the back of his hair and just around his pigtail, "So, without you they can't make new Saber stuff and the other devices you use, right?"

"Well, I learned from Trieste, and she knows a lot more about this than I do," Nabiki corrected, "After all, I'm just her apprentice."

"But I think it's pretty neat that you can do all this," Ranma smiled, "You're pretty sharp, and you ain't half bad as a fighter. Guess your folks are pretty proud of you..."

"Well, I like to think they are," Nabiki replied, giving an impish smile to the boy beside her, "But are you paying me a compliment, Ranma-kun? Whatever would your father think?"

"Gah..." Ranma was suddenly quite nervous, suddenly QUITE aware that he was standing next to an extremely pretty girl in an enclosed place that gave an air of intimacy to their being this close together. He might have jumped back in alarm save for the fact that there was not enough room for any such dramatic gestures.

"Don't worry about it," Nabiki patted him on the shoulder, "It'll be our little secret, for now. But...speaking of confiding in someone, don't you have some lessons with Mistress Trieste and Kasumi in a few minutes?"

"Uh...right, gotta go practice," Ranma said, using the excuse to move away from Nabiki, though not as much from fear and avoidance as to give him some "comfort room" in which to think more clearly, "Um...thanks for the tour...and the explanation. I'll look you up about it again later, Nabiki."

"Anytime, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smiled, watching the younger man take his leave through the trap door stairwell through which he had entered, not letting him know just how much she was aware of the turbulent emotional storm that was churning within him and the effect that she was having on the poor boy's thought processes.

She sighed when he had left, aware of how her own emotions were being affected by thoughts of this young, dynamic new presence in her life, and wondering if she were truly up to balancing such strong feelings with the serenity that she needed to maintain as a Force Master.

"Ah, Oneechan," she sighed, "You don't know how much I envy you having him for your apprentice..."

She then turned and smiled at the "special project" that she had currently under development, a new type of Lightsaber that she intended to make into a present for their up-and-coming young Padawan, assuming Trieste ever gave her approval. After all, the boy needed to have a great "equalizer" if he were to defend both himself and their house against another assault by the Sith and his apprentices. After all, one did not have to be gifted with precognition to know that their troubles with that lot were only just beginning...

"It is very strange and wonderful, the workings of the Force."

Akane smiled in amusement at her companion as the two of them sat upon the roof of the dojo looking out over the yard with their feet dangling out over open space, just sitting and reflecting on recent events and the changes brought about in both of their lives by recent circumstances.

"Oh, you think so?" Akane asked with a faint grin.

"Great-grandmother often tells me that the Fates have a wicked sense of humor and propriety," the purple haired Amazon reflected, "And yet things do happen for a purpose, much as when Kasumi came to my village and became my sister. I have learned so much since that time, and yet I am still only a beginner, and this one is humbled to discover how much she has yet to learn. Even so, it is very good to be here with you this day, my friend."

"I know exactly what you mean," Akane grinned, enjoying the company far more even than the time she might have otherwise spent with her actual blood sisters, "And it's nice to have you around too, Xian-Pu," she made a point to allow her affection to flow between them as she met those crimson eyes that regarded her to openly and knew that her regard for her new friend was more than a mutual recognition between oath sisters.

"And good it has been for this one to make a new sister," Shampoo coyly eyed Akane with the faintest of grins, "Even one who shows great promise as a Warrior and...in other capacities worthy of a sister."

"Hey, you aren't so bad yourself," Akane noted wryly, staring back out into the distance, "Mom always says that we should act on our emotions, that the best deeds come from the purest intentions..."

"Yet even the purest of motives do not defend one against missteps," Shampoo cautioned, "And if you let your passions rule, then you can fall prey to your emotions when they are dark and angry. That is the lesson your sister taught this one when she...when I allowed pride and anger to blind me. It is much the same as when you become angry with this one's Little Brother..."

"Oh him?" Akane snorted, "Ranma acts like he's the Kami's gift to women, and Nabiki falling all over herself trying to get into his pants. I just wish he wasn't such a headstrong fool, like bullying ahead into a fight against those Sith..."

"You mean as you feel prone to do with the one named Ukyo?" Shampoo asked with a faintly arched lilt to her pretty singsong voice.

"Oh?" Akane tried to sound casual as she studied the other girl's profile, "Don't tell me you're jealous about that?"

"Should this one be?" Shampoo asked in a forthright manner, "I understand your attraction to her, she is very much a wild, untamed spirit in need of firm guidance, but are you certain that you are the one who has what is needed to win her over?"

"Hey, you'll never know unless you try, right?" Akane countered.

"True enough," the Amazon was thoughtful for a few seconds before rendering her analysis, "Elder Trieste claims that the Dark side can hold one prisoner more tightly than bonds of iron, that once you give yourself over to its comforting grip it becomes a terrible addiction, like Opium for the soul with hate and anger as your only boon companions."

"Yeah, I know that stuff," Akane looked away again, "You don't need to worry about me there, Xian-Pu...I won't fall, even if maybe I stumble a bit now and then..."

"You are quick to anger, but also quick to love," Shampoo revealed, "This one admires much about you, Akane, but she is concerned for you as well. It is far too easy to be lost to the Dark side...this one well knows this..." she added the latter part with a sad and wistful note of regret.

"You mean that Mousse guy?" Akane asked.

"Yes," Shampoo hung her head sadly, "This one...feels an obligation...a responsibility for his fall into the grip of the enemy. She...I spurned and rejected him many times when we were children...I only wanted his friendship, not his love, but...it was never enough for Mu-Tsu. He wanted what I could not freely give him, and so he turned to the Dark side to fulfill his objectives."

"How dangerous can he be?" Akane asked, "I mean...I know those wings of his..."

"Mu-Tsu has mastered the Crane fighting techniques in addition to his Hidden Weapons training," Shampoo replied, "He is quite formidable by any ordinary measure. I can defeat him, of course...but, then again, he has never truly gone all-out against me, so I would advise caution as he is prone to attacking anyone who becomes close to me. He might see you as an obstacle were he to learn about our friendship."

"Let him just try and take me on," Akane brandished a fist, "He'll find out that I'm one 'Outsider Girl' that he'd better not mess with."

Shampoo smiled a bit at this, "It will take more than courage to defeat Mu-Tsu if he is determined. Come with me, my friend...there is something which I desire to show you."

Sufficiently intrigued, Akane followed the Amazon as Shampoo dropped from the roof and swung from the lip of the awning to vault into the dojo, so Akane decided to copy her friend's motions and arrived to find Shampoo in the act of gathering up cinder blocks from where they were neatly stacked in one corner."

"What's up?" Akane asked as she saw Shampoo create three neat parallel stacks of five bricks that she spaced out one meter apart from one another.

"You already know how to harden your hands with your Chi so that you can smash stone and wood," Shampoo indicated the first of the three stacks, "And you have fortified this ability to where you can project the Force itself through your hands without requiring heavy impact, correct?"

"Of course," Akane replied, "It's easy."

"Then reduce the first stack as a demonstration of your ability," Shampoo directed, "Break them neatly down the middle."

"Piece of ramen," Akane smirked, going over to the first stack and squaring her stance as she summoned up her Ki within her then extended the palm of one hand to where it was almost physically touching the top cinderblock in the pile. A momentary discharge resulted and the force flowed from her hand down into the bricks and shattered them like the blow of a hammer.

"That was adequate," Shampoo noted matter-of-factly, "But you lack precision. The Force should be natural as it is without effort, and it must be precise. You must think with your mind as though you were using a knife to slice through the molecular bonding. Observe," and with that she stood herself in front of the second pile, then casually extended the tip of one finger to the top brick, pushing down as if to lightly tap the object, only to have the entire pile split neatly down the middle.

"Wow!" Akane was amazed at such an effortless display. It hardly had seemed as though Shampoo had used much of the Force at all, so smooth and certain had been the control of her Chi-burst.

"The Amazons have a special technique called the Bakusei Tenketsu in your language," Shampoo explained, "The Breaking Point, which all objects in nature possess, much as the facets of a diamond. The right amount of energy directed to the flaw in a stone will cause even the hardest substance to break apart like glass. It is so simple that even children can learn it, as I did when I was very little, though it has taken me many years for this one to gain her present level of sufficiency..."

"Can I try that?" Akane asked eagerly, "How does it work?"

Shampoo was amused at the other girl's enthusiasm but managed to keep her tone level as she pointed at the third stack and said, "The secret to this technique is simple...you must feel the lines of the Force flowing through an object to sense where its weakest point may be found. Discover the breaking point and the merest touch of your hand will be enough to shatter even the hardest stones as though they were shale. You won't need to concentrate as much energy into breaking things, and you can save your strength for when it is actually needed."

"Okay," Akane said, squaring herself in front of the third pile and concentrating.

"Feel the flow, relax yourself and your mind will sense where it is," Shampoo coached, "Let the Force tell you where to strike in order to shatter the blocks. Do not be in any great hurry, take your time and wait until you feel it."

"All right," Akane paused while she extended her senses, seeing the space around the cinderblocks shift from "dead matter" into swirls of energy surrounding the solid objects. Almost as though her vision had become polarized she began to see the blocks themselves as colorful pieces of a tapestry with hard and soft points gradually becoming visible to her senses. When at last she sensed an area around which these currents of color and light swirled she determined the spot that felt "weaker" than the rest and slowly extended her two main fingers, touching this "Breaking Point" and allowing her energy to flow from her hand into the object...

Which all at once-and rather violently-exploded at her touch as though the whole pile were laced with gunpowder!

Akane staggered back, more in surprise than in pain, amazed at what had happened. Almost instantly Shampoo was at her side and had caught her up in her arms, asking in concern, "Are you all right, my sister? Are you injured?"

"Ah...I'm fine...just a little surprised, is all," Akane blinked at the cloud of dust that was surrounding her handiwork, noticing that the floor itself had given out from the explosion, creating a hole into which the debris must have fallen, prompting Akane to ask, "What...just happened?"

"You used too much of the Force," Shampoo replied, "The same energy that you normally extend to shatter the bricks was more than enough to utterly destroy them. You went a little too far that time and almost injured yourself. I cautioned you that it would require less effort to do this than to what you are accustomed..."

"Right," Akane said, "I think I got it...a little too much, huh?"

"Exactly," Shampoo said, "You don't need to overpower the bricks to merely break them...if you do that then you have an Exploding Point instead of a breaking one, and without sufficient toughening of your defenses you could do yourself real injury. This one would be very upset if her friend Akane should become injured because of her inadequate training."

"Oh, you would, huh?" Akane turned in towards the other girl, taking advantage of how close their faces were to one another, "And what would you do if I did get hurt doing that?"

Shampoo neither flinched nor pulled away as she smiled at the obvious attraction of the other girl and merely smiled, "Why then...this one would apply her training as a Healer to help you out, Akane. Perhaps this one should examine you to determine if you might have been cut by the shrapnel of that explosion...?"

"Oh yeah," Akane melted into the other girl's arms, "That's my idea of therapy...just a little lower, you can check to see if my legs got cut, starting with my feet..."

"And working my way upward?" Shampoo was amused at the obvious intent of the other girl, but in no way was she offended, "There is always the furo in your house..."

"My thinking exactly," Akane cooed, allowing her arm to slip around the Amazon's waist in order to secure the closeness that they were both feeling, "And then maybe you can carry me to my room and do a full examination there?"

"It would be my honor and duty as your sister," Shampoo agreed, their faces now close enough that they were just a fraction away from actually kissing.

Of course, in that next moment, Ranma came rushing into the dojo crying out, "Are you guys okay? What the heck was that explosion-huh?"

"Oh my," said Kasumi, who followed at a more leisurely pace just behind Ranma, "Is everything all right in here?"

"Fine," Akane said in mild exasperation, "I'm just fine, Oneechan, really..."

"Are you now?" asked Trieste, who appeared just a few seconds behind Kasumi, but without the least hint of concern in her expression, "Practicing a new technique I see?"

"It is this one's doing, Elder," Shampoo said as she let Akane go and turned to face the others, "This one was attempting to teach an Amazon technique to Akane..."

"And it got a little out of control, huh?" Ranma stared at the new hole in the floor and said, "That Exploding Point thing, huh? Guess the Tomboy kind of overdid it..."

"Oh, like you could do any better on your first try," Akane sniffed in automatic resentment.

"Ranma did attempt it when this one first showed him the technique," Shampoo revealed to Akane, "And you are right, he did much more...what is the word that this one is thinking?"

"Spectacular?" Trieste suggested.

"Yes," Shampoo nodded, "Much bigger explosion. This one was glad that her Little Brother did not hurt himself too badly in the explosion."

"Hey, how was I to know a boulder would go up like that?" Ranma shrugged as he grumbled, "You'd think I used dynamite or something..."

"Then is everyone all right in here?" asked Kimiko as she peered past the others to take immediate notice of how close her daughter was standing next to her purple-haired friend from China, which caused her to smile for a moment before hiding her expression, "Akane...did you make this mess by yourself?"

"Yes Mother," Akane groaned slightly, "I'm still working the bugs out...it'll take me a little more practice..."

"It was this one's doing," Shampoo immediately volunteered, "This one assumes responsibility for teaching Akane a dangerous Amazon technique, and she will do what she must to repair the damage."

"Well then," Kimiko said smoothly, "Then you and your new friend can clean up in here so that other people can continue to use the dojo for practice. Replace the boards then smooth them out, and then I want you and Shampoo to clean yourselves up and go back to your room so that you'll be freshened up around dinnertime...does that meet with your approval, Sensei?"

"It does indeed," Trieste agreed readily with her friend's suggestion, "And Xian-Pu...in the future, when you teach a new system to Akane, be sure you work out with her just how much Force is necessary and how much is excessive."

"Yes Elder," Shampoo colored slightly, wondering if she was being as transparent as Akane in the eyes of her elders. In all truth she welcomed an excuse to spent more time with Akane, and even if cleaning up the dojo might wear down much of their excess energies, she knew that they would both have enough left over later for...other sorts of diversions.

"Good," Trieste turned to Ranma and said, "Oh, Ranma-kun...I know that you and Kasumi were working on your meditative training, but I was wondering if she could spare you for a moment so that you can run a little errand for me to the store."

"You want me to get something from the store?" Ranma asked, "Sure, that's no problem...if it's all right with Kasumi."

"Perhaps I can go with you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi offered, "I know which stores to use in order to get the best bargains."

"Ah...well...sure, that'd be great," Ranma scratched the back of his head as if not able to think of any other kind of answer.

All at once Nabiki appeared from inside the house, along with the fathers, the large panda holding up a sign that echoed Nabiki's first words of, "What happened? Was anybody hurt?"

"Yes, Nabiki," Akane said archly, "Everything is just fine...we had a little accident, nothing to get too worked up out here, all right?"

"A little accident?" Nabiki stared at the hole in the floor with a flatly questioning expression.

"It is all right," Shampoo reassured the older girl, "These sorts of things happen in training. Akane will do better next time."

"What did she do?" Nabiki asked, "Drop something you baked through the floor or something?"

Akane immediately bristled, "Nabiki-!"

"Calm yourself," Trieste automatically directed, reminding Akane that she was still under a kind of probation for her earlier displays of temper, "Nabiki, needling your sister like that is hardly conducive to her maintaining a proper focus in her training..."

"Oh, I dunno," Ranma shrugged, "The way the Tomboy cooks, it sounded like a pretty obvious thing to say..."

"RANMA!" Akane flared, feeling the hairs along her arms and neck begin to straighten up at the continued insults.

All at once Shampoo gestured with her hand, and Ranma gave a whoop as he felt himself being picked up off his heels and tossed out into the yard, to hover for a moment above the koi pond before being released to the accompanying sound of a loud "WHOOP!" followed by an equally audible splash.

"Let that be a lesson to you, Little Brother," Shampoo warned, "No one offends an Amazon Sister in this one's presence, not even you."

Ranma-chan sputtered as she climbed out of the pond and gasped, "What the heck did you do that for?"

Soun just stared in mute fascination at the transformation as Genma reversed his sign so that it now read, "Now that he had coming."

Akane looked at Shampoo in surprise, "You stood up for me?"

"It seemed the right thing to do," Shampoo turned back to the other girl, "Akane thinks that she is all alone and has no defenders, but this will never be true while she has this one for a sister."

"Well then," Kimiko said brightly, "If that's all settled, Kasumi, fetch some hot water for Ranma, then the both of you can go to the store with a list that I've prepared."

"Yes Mother," Kasumi agreed, heading back into the house.

"Hey!" Nabiki suddenly protested, "Why is Kasumi going out with Ranma? Why don't I go to the store, I can get even better prices..."

"You, my young Apprentice Force Master," Trieste said archly, "Need more time to recover from your injuries, and I am not yet satisfied that your Naginata training is as good as it can be, so you will remain here and train with me with more meditative exercises."

Nabiki looked as if she were about to protest when she heaved a sigh and said, "Hai, Sensei."

"Good," Trieste turned next to Ranma, "And you, young Sir...work a bit more on thinking before you open your mouth. You'd be surprised what a little diplomacy can earn you around most people."

"Yeah...right," Ranma-chan grumbled, but whatever defiance there was in his tone dwindled to nothing long before Kasumi returned with the hot water.

Some minutes later he was walking beside Kasumi down the sidewalk once again, restored to manhood but feeling somewhat disconsolate over the matter, a fact that his companion could not help noticing as Kasumi asked, "Is something disturbing you, Ranma-kun? You feel...uneasy..."

At first Ranma did not answer, but at length he shrugged and said, "I kinda blew it back there, didn't I? I mean...with Akane, that is..."

"You should know better by now than to insult her the way you do," Kasumi softly chided, "But I suppose that path seems natural to you, given the way your father trained you."

"Ah...well Pop and me say stuff to each other all the time without meaning nothing," Ranma grumbled, "I don't see why Akane's gotta be so thin-skinned all the time...words don't mean nothing unless you can back them up..."

"Is that so, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi half-smiled as she regarded him with amusement, "Then it doesn't bother you when people call you a woman?"

"Hey!" Ranma winced.

"Or when they say that you're a cute girl and want to court your interest?" Kasumi continued.

"That ain't what they say!" Ranma protested, "And I'm only a girl some of the time..."

"But you don't deny that you're cute in either form do you?" Kasumi softly teased.

"Hey I...what do you mean cute?" Ranma blinked.

"Well, members of the opposite sex find you attractive," Kasumi reasonably pointed out, "My sister, for one, and then there's Tatewaki Kuno..."

"HEY!" Ranma protested, "That ain't even funny!"

"True enough," Kasumi's tone turned conciliatory, "And, in all truth, I don't much care for his attentions either, but at least now you might be willing to concede that words can have a hurtful effect if used improperly...and when you say things that you know will irritate Akane, knowing what a fragile state her emotions have been of late, and how close she has come in recent days to walking on the Dark side..."

"Yeah...okay...so many I got a lotta mouth and don't know no better," Ranma's shoulders slumped, "And you're right...that's how Pop and me are used to talking to each other...so what do I do? I ain't got nothing against the Tomboy...I mean...your sister...I just wish she wasn't such a violent, macho chick..."

"How is she any different from you when you're in your other form, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi continued to point out, "I know you never mean to intentionally harm my sister, but Akane is going through a very difficult time, and you're not helping her any by constantly looking for weaknesses; you are pushing the edge and could drive her over to the Dark side. I would never accuse you of doing this deliberately, but if you are not careful about the way you behave around her, or the effect that your words are having..."

"Okay, I get the message," Ranma sighed, "That would be pretty bad, huh? Guess I'm being a jerk around her, but...well..."

"It goes both ways?" Kasumi made an intuitive leap and said, "That is it, isn't it? There something between you two...you both disturb one another with your mere proximity, as if there were a key irritant that is making you react this way..."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing...other than the fact that you and Akane are more alike one another than either of you suspect," Kasumi replied, glancing out towards a nearby park as she extended her feelings even farther into establishing a rapport with the younger boy, "And if you worked a bit harder into understanding one another you might even find that she could be a very good friend...unless you are secretly considering her as a third candidate for your fianc e."

"WHAT?" Ranma took a half-step backward, "NO WAY! That Tomboy and me got nothing in common, and besides...she's more interested in Shampoo than any guy, and she's said she hates boys often enough that I believe her..."

"You should know better than to take someone at their word or at face value, Ranma-kun," Kasumi noted, "People often hide the face that they keep to themselves away from the eyes of others, and we all are strangers within our own hearts. It takes courage to be honest with your true feelings, just like any other sort of challenge you can face, and a Jedi Master cannot afford to be dishonest within themselves or with others. The Force works best when there is no impediment to hinder its flow, so the one who would live within it's must be true to herself or else the flow is wasted."

"Huh?" Ranma said, "You mean to be a Jedi Master you gotta always be truthful?"

"It does help," Kasumi admitted, "Think of it as a flow of energy moving in one straight and true direction, like the shaft of an arrow aimed at a particular target. Anything could happen to interrupt that flow or divert the arrow, the slightest shift in the wind, the faintest hesitation on the part of the archer..."

"Oh, I get it," Ranma said, "If you get distracted your aim will be bad, right?"

"Precisely," Kasumi beamed, proud of the way her student grasped the concept, "To strike true your aim must be as true as your thoughts. If there is any disagreement between your mind and your intentions, then the flow will be irregular. The Force flows the strongest when we act of one mind, body and pure intention..."

"Like when you say what you mean and mean what you say, huh?" Ranma said, giving a faint grunt, "Guess that leaves Pop out in the cold, huh?"

"Well," Kasumi felt a slight twinge as her normal reticence to speak ill of another warred with her sense of profound honesty, leading her to charitably say, "You father would not be foremost in my mind when it came to selecting possible candidates for Jedi training...""

Ranma laughed at that and said, "Yeah, me too! The old windbag talks up a storm about honor, but I ain't seen him use a lot of it, and you can't take nothing that he says as a given. I seen him do plenty of stuff that I don't even feel good just talking about...so...I guess I mean that I know what you're trying to tell me here, Kasumi. It ain't what a man says that counts much, but if he says one thing and does another..."

"Then he would be dividing himself between his mouth and his heart, Ranma-kun," Kasumi replied, "And a man is not a whole man if his heart and his mouth do not speak with one voice."

Ranma smiled up at the older girl and said, "You're pretty smart, Kasumi, and I ain't never felt like you've said something that you don't mean. You're pretty terrific...um...for a girl, I mean..."

Despite herself Kasumi found herself blushing at the compliment, even as she said, "For a girl...I see...and that makes a difference to you?"

"Well...sure...I mean," Ranma winced, "With guys...it's...kind of different..."

"Different...how?" Kasumi wondered.

"Ulp," Ranma winced, "Um...you know...girls and guys...well...we're different...we don't think alike, ah...I mean...well...it's not like I'd call a guy pretty..."

"But you think that I'm pretty?" Kasumi asked, "Is that what you mean?"

"Ah..." Ranma winced, scratching the back of his head and trying to think up a way to dig himself out of this situation."

"Do you feel the same way about my sister...about Nabiki?" Kasumi asked with just the faintest hesitation in her voice.

"Nabiki?" Ranma blinked, then it was his turn to color, "Ah...well...sure...I mean...wouldn't think she was...y'know...pretty...I mean...in a different way than you, though you guys are both sisters..."

Kasumi felt a strong desire to ask if Ranma considered Nabiki to be prettier than herself, but even as she formed that thought-surprised that such a thing could actually even matter-her senses flared to the alert and she called out, "Ranma-kun-!"

"Huh?" he whirled about as if sensing the same thing at the exact same time, but as he started to turn around a foot connected with his back and sent the pigtailed boy flying into a nearby wall for a very rude collision.

Even as this happened Kasumi was ducking low and pulling out her Lightsaber, rolling to a defensive crouch with her blade slicing at hurled objects that were launched in her direction. The flapping of wings alerted her to the identity of her attacker even before she straightened up and said, "You?"

"You!" Mousse shot back as he straightened up and pulled a long pole-like object out of one sleeve, activating the end to cause a ruby-hot beam to erupt into life, and with this in hand he made a passing slash at Kasumi, who darted back and deflected the spear as it flicked out again and again her way like a coiled snake seeking to bite her.

"I won't let either of you stand between me and Shampoo!" the long-haired Chinese boy cried hotly as he used his wings to stabilize and fortify his attacks, "I'll kill you both first before I'll let either of you have her!"

Ranma groaned slightly as he force himself back to his feet, growling softly, "What the heck's that freak going on about...huh?"

He suddenly found a pair of legs standing before him, and as he looked up he found Ryoga smiling down at him in a way that promised anything but friendship.

"Hello, old buddy," the lost boy snarled, and then with a savage kick sent Ranma flying backwards, "Did you miss me?"

Ranma managed to land on his feet before straightening up and growling, "Ain't likely. What's the matter with you, Guy? Gonna fight without your friends around to back you up?"

"I don't need anyone to crush the life out of you, Ranma!" Ryoga snarled, drawing back his fist as his body radiated an aura that seemed to magnify and intensify the force of his chi before he unleashed a punch that traveled the distance between them, striking Ranma with an invisible fist that felt like the blow of a hammer.

"Oh boy..." Ranma groaned to himself as he felt gravity assert control at the arch of his flight, "What is this, beat up on Saotome day?" he asked, not expecting an answer before he want sprawling on the pavement...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Lucas and Takahashi Productions: shadowmane

Kasumi and Ranma versus Mousse and Ryoga, but who is after whom, and can there even be a victor? Find out next time in: "All's Affair in Love and Jedi," or "Who are you calling a Sithy?" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	13. Chapter 13

Jedi Kasumi13

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with ideas and inspiration supplied by Brandon Kelley and others)

Chapter Thirteen.

Hard Targets.

(The Story So Far)

The war between the Jedi and Sith has taken a new pitch as the two Apprenticed Sith, Ryoga and Mousse, stage an ambush of Kasumi and Ranma, who were on their way to the market...

Meanwhile Shampoo, who is visiting with the Tendos, has taken an interest in training Akane in order to refine her Force Mastery,  
to say nothing of forging other ties that have assume a far more personal nature...

"Wow!" Akane said in amazement, "You sure are talented, Xian-Pu! Is there anything you're not good at?"

The Amazon eyed her friend coyly and smiled, "That remains to be seen, but some things I am very good at...very good indeed. This one is a woman of many talents..."

"So I've noticed," Akane chuckled, glancing down at the repaired floor of the dojo and rubbing her bare foot across it to confirm in her own might that it was a very good sanding job, so perfect that she could hardly even tell that the floor had been damaged in the first place.

"This one thinks that even Elder Trieste will be much impressed with these results," Shampoo noted coyly, "Which means that we should be free to do as your mother has instructed us..."

"You mean clean up, go back to my room and get ready for dinner?" Akane replied, pausing before adding, "You know...dinner isn't for at least another three or four hours..."

"Think that will be enough time?" Shampoo asked with a slight lilt to her voice.

"Just about," Akane said eagerly, and with a grin that was an open promise, and no further ado the two new friends linked hands and started running for the house, laughing like school children with the hint of much fun that was shortly to be forthcoming...

Ranma slammed into a wall with his back taking the brunt of the blow, cracking the brickwork while doing little real damage to himself as he absorbed the impact with only a grunt to acknowledge that he was even bothered by the rude treatment.

What HAD hurt him a lot was the blow that had sent him into the wall, a punch delivered not by a fist with bone, sinew and muscle behind it but rather the mysterious Force backing up the natural raw power of Ryoga Hibiki, a fighter who was obviously no slouch in the martial arts department, and possibly even a near-equal to Ranma's own skills in this endeavor.

"Like that?" Ryoga snarled, his rage boiling over as he stalked towards his mildly stunned opponent, "Well, that's only just the beginning, Ranma!"

"What's your beef with me, Ryoga?" Ranma asked as he straightened out, "Is it because of that bread thing? Are you still mad over that?"

"Bread thing?" Ryoga snarled, "You think I'm challenging you now over BREAD?"

This time Ranma felt the punch coming in time enough to avoid it, but since the actual Force extended far beyond the reach of his arm, Ryoga's blows were hardly that easy to dodge or shrug off. It was all Ranma could do to deflect the invisible field of energy as it rolled right at him like a wave of tangible hate, the very wrongness of the sensation it caused him running up and down Ranma's arms and nape hairs, causing him to give ground rather than launch a counter-offensive as Ryoga stalked him down like a relentless force of nature.

"I've only got one thing to say to you, Ranma," Ryoga snarled while he was attacking, "Why didn't you meet me in that man-to-man fight like you promised two years ago?"

"Two years ago?" Ranma almost stumbled before catching himself and regaining his bearings, "You mean when you failed to show up for that challenge match you gave me?"

"Failed to show up?" Ryoga snarled, launching a kick that took out a tree that had been directly behind where Ranma had been standing, the invisible wave caused by his foot snapping the trunk without even coming near to touching, "You coward, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO FAILED TO BE THERE!"

"I was there three whole days waiting for you, you moron!" Ranma snarled as he managed to land his first good blow to the back of Ryoga's head, only to feel his foot bouncing off the invisible Force that surrounded his adversary, causing Ranma to rebound and regain his bearings after putting some much needed distance between them, "I waited through mornings and evenings, through rain and even the hot sun for you to show up! What do you think I was doing in all that time? Getting a suntan?"

"Sure you waited three whole days," Ryoga growled as he rounded on his opponent and prepared to launch another fierce attack, both hands shooting forward as though to push a wall of air directly at Ranma even as he shouted out the words, "BUT ON THE FORTH DAY YOU RAN AWAY LIKE A COWARD!"

Meanwhile Kasumi was busy deflecting the attacks aimed at her by Mousse, who seemed to pull weapons out of no where as fast as she could destroy them with her lightsaber, the sheer relentlessness of his assault undaunted by its lack of effectiveness in overcoming her single weapon.

"I know you, I know what you did, corrupting Shampoo, turning her against me!" the winged boy snarled, "You seduced my innocent love and taught her your ways and made her a slave to your wicked lusts!"

"What are you talking about?" Kasumi asked reasonably, "I didn't seduce anyone. Shampoo and I are friends...and more than friends. I didn't turn her against anyone, least of all you, Mousse..."

"Don't lie to me!" he cried as he literally threw the kitchen sink at her, forcing her to deflect it away with the Force rather than slice through the heavy thing with her weapon, "You were her lover! You made her hate all men and despise me...!"

"I won't deny that Shampoo and I shared something special," Kasumi tried again to be reasonable, "But it was an innocent thing on both our parts, nothing more than sharing pleasure. I didn't make her hate you, Mousse, or any other man..."

"Then why does she continue to reject me!" Mousse declared as he produced a wicked pair of bladed claws, only to have those get reduced to scrap metal with a single pass of her lightsaber.

"You were never her choice of a companion to begin with," Kasumi explained, "Shampoo told me all about you, how you've chased after her for years in spite of her rejection. She has told you time and again that she doesn't want to be your wife, but you continue to harass her..."

"THAT ISN'T TRUE!" Mousse cried as he dropped to his knees and dug new claws into the ground, only to rear up again hauling several slabs of concrete sidewalk at Kasumi, their mass alone more of a threat to her than any of his other weapons.

"Oh brother," Kasumi murmured to herself as she got out of the way of the asphalt, only to find that newly hurled chains wrapped themselves around her body and immobilized her arms so that she could not make more effective use of her lightsaber.

"This ends now, you Witch!" Mousse declared as he pulled out a pair of wicked curved blades and swung them at her head with a scissors-like motion...

"YOU IDIOT!" Ranma cried as he tried to brace himself for the wave of force that was bearing down at him, knowing it was futile to avoid it. The dark mass bore down on him and hit like a wall of icy chill that sent a frightening surge of electrical sparks all over Ranma's skin and body, sending him tumbling backwards in a momentarily stunned and quite helpless condition.

"An idiot am I?" Ryoga grunted in grim satisfaction, "So who's flat on their back now, old buddy? This is nothing less than you deserve for breaking your man-to-man promise to me and running off to China."

"T-To China?" Ranma gasped as he felt his body convulse inside with pain and revulsion, the touch of icy hate doing more damage to him than any mere impact, "W-What are you...Ryoga! You-you didn't...follow me...?"

"Yes I did," Ryoga snarled as he loomed over the now-helpless Ranma, "Followed you all the way to Jusenkyo, which is how I wound up with my curse. A funny thing happened to me there, if you know what I mean...I was peacefully minding my business when I got run down by a girl chasing after a panda...and they knocked me into one of those cursed springs. Care to guess which one I fell into, old buddy?"

Ranma grit his teeth and tried to fight off the spasms that were wracking his muscles, "You...fell into a spring...and changed...?"

"Yeah...changed into a nightmare!" Ryoga cried as he reared back with both hands, prepared to finish off his fallen foe with a single maneuver, "Now prepare to die, Ranma! This is where it ends!"

Ranma managed to raise both of his hands in the hope of withstanding the hammer-  
blow, but before it could be delivered a plane of flat, hard metal came down at the back of Ryoga's skull, and unlike Ranma's foot it penetrated his defenses, making an almost hollow sound as the enraged Lost Boy started to sag to his knees, already quite unconscious.

"Idiot," declared the one who had just rescued Ranma, "I told you that Ranchan was mine to finish off, but just like the pig you are, you never listen."

"H-Huh?" Ranma blinked, staring up in disbelief as he said, "U-Ucchan?"

"On your feet, Mister," his former iinazuke declared haughtily, "We've got unfinished business, and I want you standing up when I kill you, unless you fall to your knees and beg for mercy, in which case I'll be quick about it..."

Kasumi knew that she had no choice but to defend herself. Until now she had been taking it easy against Mousse because she did not want to harm the misguided Chinese boy, but with an obvious threat against her life she knew that the dye was cast and that she had to resort to her training.

The Force flowed strongly in her, and all at once the chains binding her wrists shattered into pieces, freeing her arms as she sliced the air and intercepted both of Mousse's scythe-like sword blades long before they could reach her neck. Mousse staggered back clutching the stumps that were all that remained of his weapons, then stared in disbelief at her, unable to fathom how she had overcome his attack with such apparent lack of effort.

"Mu-Tsu, you are a fool," Kasumi softly declared, "You claim that which was never yours to have, and you make it seem as though Shampoo were some prize that you could win by effecting my death. Let me assure you that you would never earn her love by threatening the life of another, let alone one she has counted as her sister."

"Don't call me a FOOL, you HARLOT!" Mousse roared as he reared up with a two-  
ended lance, which same he whirled in a deadly arc and brought to bear against Kasumi, only to see her chop his weapon into bits before it could come anywhere within striking distance.

"Are you done?" Kasumi said simply, "Does it pleasure you to exchange insults or to call me names? I don't mind for myself, but it is really yourself that you are actually hurting, Mu-Tsu."

"As if you care, Jedi!" he snarled impotently at her, "You took from me the one treasure that I desire above all others..."

"I took nothing that belonged to you," Kasumi said in a slightly tired tone of voice, "Shampoo was never yours to have. You tried your best to win her to your side, but everything you did only drove her further away from you. There is nothing to be gained now by these tactics but your useless humiliation."

"SHUT UP, YOU BITCH!" Mousse snarled, then he drew back within himself, folding his wings behind him and concentrating, "You are the one who took her heart, not me! You...outsider woman...you dare to conquer that which should have belonged to me. I worked hard to make myself into a man that any woman could be proud of..."

"Did you really?" Kasumi asked with no trace of scorn in her voice, "By challenging her and losing, by blindly attempting to glomp onto her when you were not using your glasses? By confusing her with a pig in front of your fellow villagers? By chasing off any man who might potentially become a suitor? Or was it by constantly harassing her and ignoring her wishes that you desist and leave her alone? No woman wants a clinging vine who disregards her own wishes, or presumes to know someone while giving no heed to her complaints..."

"Shut...up..." Mousse snarled, his eyes almost blazing, and all at once Kasumi sensed her danger, reacting barely in time as the various objects which she had obligingly cut to pieces rose up off of the ground and began to swarm all around her.

"Oh my..." Kasumi said, sensing that Mousse was manipulating these objects, and that combined they posed a more credible threat than even her lightsaber...

"I said get up!" Ukyo snarled, flashing her bakers peel like the deadly weapon it could be in her hands, "Don't feign weakness around me, Mister, or I'll take your stupid head off!"

"I ain't doing this, Ucchan," Ranma said as he got to his feet with a tired expression, "We were friends...and deep down I think we still are, even after what you did to Nabiki. It ain't my fault the old man made that stupid arrangement with your Pop..."

"Don't you dare try to pass this off on your father's shoulders!" Ukyo snarled as she took a swing at him that came very near to connecting, the blade-like spatula in her hand whipping the air with an ease that was almost ridiculous considering its mass and composition, but Ranma had no doubt that letting it strike him would be a VERY BAD suggestion! "You were the one who tricked me, abandoned me, stole my father's cart and left me in the dirt! I had nothing but ashes on account of you, and I swore I would get my revenge...!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE A GIRL!" Ranma called out as he ducked out of the way of another series of attacks, "C'mon, Ucchan, I thought you were a BOY for Kami's sakes!"

"A-A boy?" Ukyo almost staggered, then snarled with new fury, "Do I look like a boy to you, you Jackass? Don't even try to pretend you were innocent! You left me behind, you left me in humiliation...!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHY WE LEFT YOU!" Ranma said as the wind picked up by her spatula nearly blew him over, "Pop is the one who ran away and dragged me along with him! Ucchan, I was only SIX YEARS OLD! How the hell could I know anything about us being engaged and all that!'

"You think I'm some kind of a fool that I'll buy such a lame story?" Ukyo snorted in contempt, her spatula-strikes coming nearer to connecting as anger leant her a new strength born of her fury, "Even you couldn't be that stupid..."

"Yes I could-I MEAN-I could too make a mistake like that!" Ranma insisted, "I thought you were a boy who just liked to play games with me..."

"You mean when you'd steal okonomiyaki from my father?" Ukyo hissed as her battle aura grew even more intense.

"And you'd try to prevent me and I'd jump on your head and then your Pop would GIVE me the okonomiyaki!" Ranma declared, feeling a bit winded at having to explain himself while furiously dodging her attacks, "He sure as heck thought we were playing..."

"And that's another thing!" Ukyo grit her teeth as she stabbed at the jerk who was doing his level best to avoid her, connecting instead with a telephone pole, which same she neatly snapped at the base with a single strike of her baker's peel blade-edge, "My Dad thought more highly of you than he did of me, and I was his DAUGHTER! He always wanted a son, especially after my mother died after having me! He would have shown more love and respect to a brother if I'd had any! The only way I could get any approval from him was by pretending to be a boy, and then you come along and steal him away from me...!"

"That's ridiculous!" Ranma protested, finally tiring of the game of dodging her attacks as he finally saw her give him an opening in her defenses, and when she next lunged forward he fell to the ground and lashed out with both feet, catching her by the wrists and causing her to lose her grip upon her weapon.

He righted himself out and started to say, "I couldn't take nothing like that away from you! Your Pop just thought I was your friend and-urk!"

All at once he found the tip of a ruby-read lightsaber pointed just beneath the bridge of his nose, so close that he could feel the heat it gave off as she leveled it at him, only centimeters away from drilling a hole clean through his head.

"Sucker!" she smiled without humor, "Thought I was just being sporting by playing with you, and all the while I was just leading you up into this..."

"Ucchan," Ranma thought furiously, considering and discarding numerous techniques that he might use to rectify this situation, "You gotta believe me...I never meant to hurt you..."

"Well, you did a great job!" she cried as she thrust forward, only to have Ranma fade out from before her eyes, and all at once his hands were gripping both of her wrists while his foot shot out to catch her in the mid-section and knock her backwards. She easily absorbed the kick but by the time she had straightened up she found that she was staring at the blade end of her own lightsaber, with Ranma holding it by the handle.

"Surprised?" he asked, "I watched you, so I know how to work this. Now...are you gonna listen to me, Ucchan, or do I have to get nasty?"

"Do your worst, Saotome," Ukyo sniffed, "I doubt you even have the balls for it anyway..."

"You're right," Ranma deactivated the lightsaber and tossed it to one side, "Besides...Saotome school teaches that relying on a weapon is a sign of weakness..."

The saber did not even hit the ground before it flew back into Ukyo's hand, at which point she reactivated it once again and said, "Is that so? Then it won't bother you too much if I put that theory to the test...?"

Kasumi did her level best to dodge, deflect and avoid the numerous bits of wood and sharp metal that went flying towards her, but it was a cloud of steel and not a single object that lashed out towards her, so she did the only thing that was available and used her Jedi might to boost her leaping ability, vaulting backward out of the deadly cloud while nursing a number of minor cuts and lacerations for her trouble.

Mousse saw her landing and sensed that Kasumi was in pain and thus vulnerable, but when he directed his barrage of weapons towards her it was in the belief that she would be unable to concentrate in time to protect herself from so many hurtling projectiles.

He was wrong. Kasumi had taken the moment to gather her strength into herself, then with both hands she pushed forward and willed the air to form a barrier as the Force intercepted Mousse's steel storm and countered it, the clash of Light and Dark energies causing the air to spark and shimmer between them.

"I ask you again to desist in this folly, Mu-Tsu," Kasumi said calmly as the clatter or wood and steel fell all around her, "I have no wish to harm you..."

Mousse was too enraged to listen to reason, picking up another large chunk of concrete with both hands as he prepared to hurl it, screaming, "YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING TO ME, YOU MOTHERLESS WHORE...!"

That was a mistake on his part. Kasumi did not anger easily, but being addressed in that tone was not a thing that she could easily forgive and forget. Her eyes flashed in genuine anger, the serenity of her composure sharpening to crystal clarity as she willed a ball of concentrated Force into her hand and pushed it forward, aiming it directly at his solar plexus.

It is a known fact that for everything in the universe there is an equal and opposite effect or reaction, and use of the Force was no true exception. Many times Kasumi's mentor had stressed that one should never use the Force itself aggressively because an injury inflicted upon another could rebound and affect one if not properly braced to resist such a "feedback." Thus hitting Mousse in such a vulnerable spot-though arguably effective-caused a rebound effect where Kasumi felt a similar force sympathetically strike her own solar plexus, and she grunted slightly as some of her wind was driven out of her lungs, though Mousse took the brunt of it and lost his focus altogether...

Which proved to be disastrous considering that he was holding a sixty-kilogram block of asphalt over his head. Said block shattered over his skull and rendered him quite effectively disabled. As he fell face-down onto the tarmac his opponent straightened out and forced herself to regain her wind, eyeing him coolly with less than her usual ration of pity.

"Don't ever say something like that about my mother," she said softly, which for her was the equivalent of shouting at his fool carcass.

"Ucchan," Ranma said, remaining very still as he face burning death and ignored it, "I'm telling you the truth, I never meant to hurt you, I didn't know about our engagement, I really did mistake you for a boy, and...and...and I'm sorry about that. Now, are you happy?"

"Happy?" she grit her teeth as her saber quavered while she shook herself in anger, "HAPPY? You wrecked my life, you stupid Baka! You think saying you're sorry now is gonna make up for years of having to live with the shame of my own father's rejection? What about the scorn and humiliation others gave me because I was dumped by my fianc e?"

"Okay, so I can't do anything about that," Ranma said, "I can't give you back what you lost on account of Pop being such a greedy, lazy, lying, two-faced double-crossing backstabber! I know he hurt you by making that deal and then welshing on it! And now he wants me to marry a Tendo...I mean, it ain't like he tells me about this stuff before he goes ahead and does it!"

"So you're saying it's all his fault, that you don't have anything to be sorry about?" Ukyo snarled, "Like hell you don't, Mister! A real man would accept the blame for his mistakes..."

"I ain't got time enough for that," Ranma said, "I got more mistakes to regret than I hope ever known about, Ucchan, but...for what it's worth...yeah...I screwed up...I made a mistake and I let the Old Man pull a number on me...ain't the first time, probably won't be the last...but I never did anything to hurt you, Ucchan...you gotta believe me..."

"Why should I?" Ukyo demanded, "Do you know what I've been through? All the years I've suffered and slaved away because of you...?"

"Then you wasted your time," Ranma said, "Ucchan...I ain't worth it. A pretty girl like you oughta have a better reason to live than to beat up on some guy who ain't got nothing in this world but a curse that makes me look worse than you ever could..."

"And how do you figure that?" she wondered with obvious skepticism.

"C'mon," Ranma said, "You only pretend to dress up like a guy...right? Well, I turn into a girl...what could be worse than that?"

"What could be...?" for a moment Ukyo seemed stunned by the question, then she cried out, "YOU IDIOT! You think being a girl is the worse thing that could happen?"

"It is for you," Ranma pointed out, "You said it yourself, your Pop wanted you to be a boy, right?"

Ukyo's eyes narrowed as she studied him, then reluctantly she said, "Yeah...good point..."

"Instead he got a cute girl like you," Ranma said, "A girl any guy would be a fool not to notice..."

Her lightsaber dropped by a few centimeters as her eyes widened considerably, "What did you just call me?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What do you mean what did I...?"

"Did you just call me CUTE?" the lightsaber was back pointing right at him, close enough to nearly sear the tip of Ranma's nose off.

"Uh..." he backed away by a fraction, "Well...yeah...but you are, right? I mean...look in the mirror, you're Cute, all right?"

"All right?" Ukyo slashed at him, forcing Ranma to back away out of her saber-  
beam's deadly arc, "I AM NOT CUTE, DO YOU GET THAT!?"

"Hey, what are you so mad about?" Ranma wondered as he readied himself to leap out of the way of her next assault, "I was just telling you the truth!"

Ukyo's hand stabbed the air between them, aimed directly at Ranma, and all at once he felt as if a tremendous weight was bearing him down, as if gravity itself were sharply increasing, or else a giant hand was pushing him down to where he stooped under the strain, almost falling to his knees as he fought to resist the pressure.

"On your knees, Mister!" Ukyo declared as she increased the pressure, forcing Ranma to fall down to his hands and knees while she declared between grit teeth, "I am a Sith Apprentice, the right hand to my Lord, Darth Purge! I am a Master of the Dark Side of the Force, and I AM NOT CUTE, do you get my drift, you Jackass?"

Ranma fought against the pressure but would not give way to her efforts, "I said it...I ain't taking it back...you are cute, Ucchan...even if you got no reason...to be this angry..."

"No reason?" she cried, drawing back with her lightsaber, "NO REASON? I'LL GIVE YOU A REASON YOU-YOU JACKASS!"

She slashed down with all the strength that she could spare from holding him in place, but even as she did it she felt her aim go a little off and realize that she would pull up just short of striking him, which was precisely what did happen, her lightsaber going motionless in mid-strike while still a good ten centimeters short of her intended target.

(What's wrong with me?) Ukyo furiously asked herself, (Why can't I do it? I've been training to do this all these years! What's keeping me from killing him? Am I getting weak all of a sudden? And why is he looking at me like that...like he doesn't want to fight me anymore? What...am...I doing...?)

And then a voice very calmly spoke to one side, "I would very much prefer if you do not hurt him, Kuonji-san."

Ukyo snarled and slashed sideways with her Saber, only to have the beam be caught and deflected as Kasumi's own lightsaber flared up in time to intercept it.

"There has been enough violence," Kasumi assured the Sith apprentice, "And you don't really want to hurt him after all or you would have done it already."

"SHUT UP!" Ukyo snarled, striking out at the Jedi once again, only to see Kasumi calmly turn her blade aside then step inside her guard with her own lightsaber pressed up within a few centimeters of her face.

"You are skilled," Kasumi said, "But you are not my equal. Your hate has blinded you, it has made you weak and easy to manipulate. Your Master is using you and you are intelligent enough to see it. Do not force me to hurt you...there has been enough pain in both of your lives. Can you not see that Ranma is already hurting?"

"Huh?" Ukyo asked, turning from this hated rival to stare at Ranma, who was looking at her with a soulful expression curiously devoid of either fear or anger.

"Ucchan," Ranma said, "I mean it...I am sorry..."

"S-Sorry?" Ukyo's voice trembled as she did not know whether to laugh or cry at that statement, "And why the hell should I believe you?"

"Because you're not completely evil," Kasumi answered for her, "Nor are you as blind to the truth as either Mu-Tsu or Ryoga."

"You're comparing me to them?" Ukyo asked, glancing at the green lightsaber beam that was threatening her own life while her own hung uselessly pointed down to one side.

"Think about it," Kasumi replied, "Mu-Tsu has been taunted and made fun of nearly all of his life on account of his weak eyesight and the scorn he has received from the one he professes to desire. Ryoga...for what I could hear of the matter...blindly holds a grudge against Ranma-kun for petty slights that were never intended. Even the curse he bears is the result of his blind obsession in following Ranma into Jusenkyo. Would you be like either of them, full of hate and self-pity, unable to see the good in your own life or the pain that is felt by others?"

Ukyo stepped back from the older girl, and Kasumi allowed her to retreat out of sword-reach, the two of them still holding their lightsabers at the ready as they contemplated one another, a duel of wills as well as minds making the air between them crackle with far more tension than the simply tension of their opposing philosophies.

"Are you saying I should just give up on my vengeance?" Ukyo asked, "On my family's honor? On the wrongs done to me as a woman?"

"Which wrongs are those, Kuonji-san?" Kasumi asked, "The hurt done to you by Ranma and his father, or the wrongs which you have done to yourself that were in part caused by your own father? How does vengeance make right either one of these two wrongs?"

Ukyo did not answer right away but continued to glower for a moment, then raised her sword and said, "Why don't we just settle this like Jedi and save the flowery words for when we know which of us is the victor?"

"I already know who would win," Kasumi replied, "But do as you must if it will bring an end to your unjust anger."

Ukyo snarled and lashed out at her, striking hard and fast at Kasumi, who met and countered each thrust with a casual ease that was barely ruffled. Then all at once Kasumi reverse the motion of her blade and the resultant leverage caused Ukyo to lose the grip on her own blade, sending it flying out of her grasp, even as Kasumi brought her point up once again and directed its tip just inches from Ukyo's forehead.

"I did not defeat you," Kasumi said calmly, "You defeated yourself. Hate and anger make you weak, cause you to scatter your focus and divert the flow of your emotions so that you do not know who it is that you hate more...me...or yourself."

Ukyo considered the blade then calmly stepped away, losing some of her contempt in her expression, "Okay...you're good...but I'm not saying you're my better...but...but what do you know about pain and hate anyway...?"

"I have seen enough of both in my travels," Kasumi replied as she lowered her lightsaber without taking her attention away from the girl before her, "Enough to make me weep for those who allow themselves to be used by the dark side of their own emotions. A Jedi is never truly strong, Kuonji-san, unless she has the strength to care for the welfare of others..."

"The philosophy of a weakling," Ukyo sniffed, "You can't expect me to believe that..."

"Believe whatever you want," Kasumi replied, "But is it my weakness that you despise, or do you feel weak because some part of you now accepts the truth about Ranma? Look at him now with clear eyes that are not blinded by hate...do you truly believe him capable of deceiving you? Though his father lies easily, Ranma does not know how to hide his own emotions...what you see is literally what you get with him, and because of this I know that he is sincere when he says that he did not intend to hurt you."

Ukyo wavered for a moment before narrowing her eyes again as she looked directly at Kasumi, "And what good is your word to me anyway? You're not an unbiased witness you know. I can tell just by looking at you that you love him."

"N-Nani?" Ranma blinked, seeing the slightly surprised look that crossed over Kasumi's expression.

"I..." Kasumi paused, momentarily at a loss for anything to say.

"Yeah, that's what I figured," Ukyo continued to back away, then she raised both hands and summoned the Force once again, causing her lightsaber to fly into one hand, her baker's peel into another. She holstered one and slung the other back over her back, then scowled as she said, "You win this round for now... Jedi... but don't think I'm gonna forgive and forget about everything...just because you got lucky. We'll see each other soon enough, and just make sure you look over your shoulder next time before you see me coming."

With that Ukyo started to turn around, only to be stopped in her tracks as Ranma said, "Wait! Ucchan...what about your buddies?"

"What about them?" Ukyo sniffed, "Just a pair of losers. You think because I train with them that I call either of them my friend? No way! I've only had one friend in my life, Ranchan...and he hurt me worse than anyone else but my Dad. I...I won't call us even just yet, even if you're a loser who's got a moron for a father. I can't forget what you two did to me...I...I need to think some more...just don't get killed before I make my mind up about you..."

And then she walked away, never even glancing back once in her passing.

"A strange girl," Kasumi said, then sagged a little as the effort of remaining upright became too demanding.

"Kasumi!" Ranma moved to catch her before her knees gave out underneath her, and then he gasped as his hand encountered a wetness, making him aware that she was bleeding from a dozen shallow cuts all over the length of her body.

"Ah...Ranma-kun?" Kasumi winced, "Could I...trouble you for some...assistance? I need to get back home...and I don't think I can walk the distance..."

"Sure, no problem," Ranma said as he gathered the taller girl into his arms, easily supporting her weight as she proved surprisingly light and maybe even a bit more fragile than he would have estimated. He paused to glance at the fallen Ryoga and Mousse, then said in worried tones, "What about them?"

"Leave them for now," Kasumi sighed, "They should recover before too long. Mu-  
Tsu has a remarkably thick skull, and your friend...Ryoga..."

Her tone drifted off as she seemed to go unconscious.

"Kasumi-chan?" Ranma asked with a note of desperation, not even noticing the shift in his own language as he expressed his concern for her. He spared one last look at the fallen Sith and growled, "You morons...I hope your heads hurt when you wake up."

Then he was off at a quick run, making good time as he traced his steps back to the Tendo dojo...

Nabiki groaned as her shoulder dropped a bit, then she turned to her Mentor and said, "I think I need a bit more rest, Sensei. The muscles aren't completely knitted in my shoulder..."

"You may be right about that," Trieste replied, "But that is no reason to take it too easy, Nabiki-chan. The muscles in your arm can only heal if you work with them and encourage them to restore themselves to the proper strength and coordination. The Naginata requires both in order to be effective in a combat situation, and you can't afford to be slow, clumsy or imprecise when using a Jedi weapon. Just keep practicing the exercises exactly as I taught you and you will soon be back to your normal proficiency. I can't allow you to become a weak link while we are facing our greatest challenge to...date..."

"Huh?" Nabiki looked sharply at her mentor while resting on her pole arm, "Sensei?"

Trieste looked sideways with a note of alarm in her expression, causing both Nabiki and Kimiko to sense the change in her demeanor, the latter asking, "Is something wrong, my Sister?"

"I...don't really know..." Trieste frowned, "I felt something just now...a great disturbance in the Force. It was muted...as if something were dampening the effect to make it difficult for me to sense, but...yes...it seems to have settled for now...but I feel a coldness all about me, and I think Kasumi is in some kind of trouble."

Even as she spoke those words Ranma appeared atop the wall of the garden, then vaulted in with a limp Kasumi cradled in his arms, a sight which caused both women to give a sharp intake of breath, even as the fathers looked up from their Shogi game, Soun being first to lurch to his feet with a dismayed, "K-  
Kasumi...?"

"Oneechan?" Nabiki took a sharp breath of her own as she stared at her helpless sister.

"She's been hurt," Ranma explained, "We were attacked just a few blocks away from here. We drove them off, but Kasumi..."

Kimiko immediately assumed a tone of motherly command as she pointed at the dojo and said, "In there, now...and Soun-chan, bring Trieste's medicine kit at once. Genma-san, please find Shampoo and Akane."

Nabiki came up beside Ranma as he carefully lay Kasumi down upon a pallet that Trieste unfolded for her, and with much concern the middle Tendo sister demanded, "What happened?"

"Like I said," Ranma explained, "There were three of them...Ucchan and two of those Sith guys, the one with wings and Ryoga. They jumped us from no where and they were trying to kill us..."

"Yes, and not doing a half-bad job of it by the look of things," Trieste murmured as she stripped off Kasumi's blood-soaked robes to uncover the wounds that were still bleeding underneath, "None of these appear too deep, but she's lost some blood from so many cuts. How exactly was this accomplished?"

Ranma set about giving a terse explanation, at the conclusion of which Trieste nodded her hands while applying some ointment that Soun supplied to her to the wounded areas, bringing a halt to further bleeding.

"The Steel Storm attack...a diabolical maneuver," Trieste murmured, "Though I would never have expected Darth Purge to be capable of teaching it to one of his underlings. It requires a difficult amount of concentration in order to manipulate objects in the manner which you have described."

"Yeah, well...I just wish I could have done something to help her," Ranma said, "But I was kinda busy with Ucchan at the time and...huh?" Ranma turned to Nabiki, who was running a hand over the surfaces of his body, "What are you doing?"

"Checking to see if you have any wounds that you might not have sensed," Nabiki replied, "Just a few bruises...you were lucky. Damn! Do you have any idea how close you came to getting killed out there, Mister? Taking on even a low-level Sith like that..."

"Hey, it wasn't like it was my idea or nothing," Ranma protested, only to pause as he felt Nabiki grip his shoulder lightly with just enough strength to be reassuring.

"I'm just glad that you're all right," Nabiki said with a sincere look of worry in her expression, "But next time...try to be more careful, will you?"

"Indeed," Trieste remarked as she was busy applying bandages to Kasumi, "The both of you could well do to take some of that advice. The Sith are not bound by any code of honorable behavior, and as you can see they don't scruple about ganging up on you. It was a near enough thing for you both to come through this ordeal with your hides reasonably intact, which says a lot for your training, deficient though it may be in other respects."

"Uh...well..." Ranma faltered, "About that...you think maybe you could teach me how to stand up better against somebody like that Ryoga? The way he could throw a punch...it was like I couldn't even touch him..."

"I don't see why not," Trieste replied, "We can stress that part of your training after you have mastered some of the basics, but it would be a mistake to rush things. Quick and expedient is the way of the Dark Side, a true Jedi Knight must cultivate patience and forbearance, which does not always apply to certain of my students..."

"Huh?" Ranma asked, "What do you mean?"

"Never mind, Ranma-kun," Nabiki reassured him, "Let's just say in certain cases forbearance is the last thing being practiced..."

"Mmmm..." Akane mused as she and Shampoo exchanged kisses while soaking together in the furo, "Y'know...it's traditional to wait until after we clean ourselves up before we get into something like this, Xian-chan...good thing I'm not that traditional minded..."

"Indeed," Shampoo said as she continued to kiss her friend on the face, neck, shoulder and lips, "But why waste the time when we'll only have to clean up again when we are through sharing pleasures?"

"Yeah, I'll go along with that," Akane said as she nuzzled Shampoo behind the earlobe, playing with her breasts as they bobbed near the surface of the water, her own smaller breasts flicking her nipples against the more substantial knobs of her Amazon friend, "Besides...why waste time...when we can do both..."

"Exactly my point," Shampoo replied as she groaned slightly, "Oh yes...that feels very good..."

"You mean like when I do...this?" Akane asked as she stuck one finger up into the slit between the thighs of her lover.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo gasped softly, spreading her knees further apart to encourage further exploration.

Akane took the invitation and began moving her hand in ways that served to further enhance the pleasure of the moment. Shampoo gave a contented moan of approval as she moved her own hands to feel her way along the smooth contours of Akane's body. The both of them snuggled together with lips and hands exploring and probing with growing boldness, the strength of their ardor causing a heat to rise between them that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water, and the more they fondled and played with the erogenous zones of their respective bodies the more intensely pleasurable was the closeness they felt towards one another.

Akane was enjoying the feel of the Amazon's body, the sense of steely strength beneath the soft, well-rounded padding, a strength that was more than a match for her own considerable fortitude. She loved the feeling of the other girl in her arms, even as Shampoo was pleasuring her with much the same passion, talented fingers finding the soft folds of moistened flesh and probing in through the gate to Akane's loins, a mere foretaste of what each had planned for the other as they writhed and moved their bodies one against the other, their skin sliding like smooth seal-hide to the wonderful sensation of nerve endings caressing one another.

It was a sheer delight for Akane to encounter another girl who was this uninhibited, neither shy nor hesitant in exploring the potentials of their mutual lovemaking. Ever since awakening to the pleasures that could be had in sharing warmth with another girl's body, Akane had searched long and hard to find a girl this willing and provocative, so easy to share the joys of the flesh without the moral wrangling and ethical moaning that so many tended to profess due to social conditioning or emotional inhibitions. Shampoo made love as if it were the most natural thing in all the world, and there was no selfishness in her demand to be mutually pleasured. She was generous and kind to a fault, yet aggressive and even a little bit kinky the way she would push the envelope in their sexual encounters, and the more Akane learned about her new friend the more she wanted to know, the greater the joy of their shared climaxes.

However this time, right when they were about to get so far into the matter that wild horses would not be able to pry them apart, there came a knocking on the door to the furo, then the sound of the outer door sliding to one side before they heard Genma Saotome say, "Are you girls in there? Your mother wants you to come at once, Akane, and...and...and...nani?"

Akane was more annoyed at being interrupted than embarrassed at the intrusion but managed to maintain some dignity to her tone as she asked, "What is it, Uncle Saotome?"

"Uh...er...um...it's...ah...K-Kasumi..." Genma stammered.

"Big Sister?" Shampoo turned her gaze to one side and became momentarily abstracted, then she sat bolt upright in the furo and cried, "AIYAA! Kasumi has been hurt! This one must go to her and lend her assistance!"

"Kasumi?" Akane also sat upright in the water, but unlike Shampoo she did not rise to her feet and climb out of the water, heedless of the slight detail that a MAN was watching her as Shampoo reached for a towel and began to hastily dry her hair off before rubbing down her body.

"Uh...Shampoo?" Akane pointed to the dumbstruck Genma.

"Hmm?" Shampoo wondered what her friend was concerned about, glanced at the motionless statue standing in the doorframe and just shrugged, "It is just a man, no one important, other than that he is the father to this one's Little Brother."

"Hmmm...good point," Akane said, still reluctant to expose herself before a man while Shampoo wasted little time getting dressed in her cheosang, at which point she shrugged and said, "Oh well...guess you're right about him not being all that important..."

Genma did not bat an eyelash as the two girls left the furo together, Akane hastily tying her gi back into place while wrinkling her nose a bit in regret that there had not been enough time to clean it. It was much more important to see how Kasumi was doing, and if her "Uncle Genma" choose that moment to play "Deer Caught in the Headlight," well...what was the harm in that? It was not like they were about to give the old guy a coronary or something. She just hoped that he wouldn't rat them out to her father...that...would be awkward...

Genma remained where he was for a full fifteen minutes before blinking his eyes and looking around, then sagging his shoulders slightly as he murmured, "Ah...no...I didn't see that...I did not see that...uh-um...no way...no how did I just see that..."

It occurred to him that Soun deserved to know that his daughter was fooling around with a houseguest, and in a highly inappropriate manner, but given the way Soun tended to...overreact to such matters...plus the secret they both shared, which demanded that neither one of them allow themselves to think...inappropriate thoughts, lest they risk stirring the wrath of a particular Demon...yes...it was all well and good to just pretend the whole thing had never actually happened.

"I saw nothing," Genma repeated to himself, "Nothing...that's right...it never happened..."

It occurred to him that it had been a very long time since he had shared marital relations with his wife, while Soun had enjoyed twenty good years of fruitful marriage, which hardly seemed fair in the larger scheme of things, but was consistent with the vows they both had taken long ago when burying their past...to say nothing of that aforementioned demon. Stirring up old ghosts was never a good thing, and sleeping demons were best left lying in their gravesites. That point firmly in mind, Genma left the furo area with a (reasonably) clear conscience (a dormant organ in his brain that had long atrophied from lack of proper usage).

If only he could shake the odd ringing in his ears...the soft chuckling he thought he could hear upon the breeze that hinted of new troubles that would surely follow as certain ghosts refused to remain eternally buried, a point that caused Genma to shudder with a dread that was almost anticipation, as if sensing that the inevitable was about to descend upon Nerima...

...And...many miles away...a storm cloud passing overhead became more ominous thunder, and a flash of lighting struck a boulder that had been sealed over a cave entrance, the Ofudo strips left in place to guard a tomb falling away with the crack of ozone, even as a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened, and a think pair of lips curled in a wicked smile from beneath a curling mustache.

The devil himself was awakening from his dreams, and soon even Darth Purge would have cause to rue this day as events went into motion that would in turn have many **interesting** consequences in the very near future...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Call of the Hentai: shadowmane

Guess who's coming to dinner in Nerima? It ain't Santa Claus, as Ranma and the Tendos are shortly to discover! Be with us next time for: "Farewell my Panties," or "Happosai Days are Near Again!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	14. Chapter 14

Jedi Kasumi14

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley)

Episode Fourteen:

The Light in the Dark!

The story so far:

The Jedi Knight known as Trieste, sole survivor of the Ancient Jedi Council, fled to Earth as sanctuary from the dark Tide of the Empire, only to be pursued By Darth Purge, a Sith Lord, who has followed Trieste all the way to Nerima...

Having apprenticed the Tendo sisters as her heirs in the ways of the Jedi, Trieste has chosen Kasumi to be a Jedi Knight upon her graduation from the Trials yet to be undertaken. But Kasumi has run afoul of Darth Purge's Sith apprentice, Ukyo Kuonji, who has a grudge against Ranma Saotome, who has become Kasumi's student in the ways of the Force, as well as her almost-fianc ...

Ranma and Kasumi fought Side-by-side in a recent battle against the Sith during which the Sith Apprentice known as Mousse Severely wounded Kasumi, forcing Ranma to carry her home, but only after settling accounts with Ukyo, who has begun to question her own quest for vengeance...

Now Ukyo must rethink her entire life strategy while the Jedi Force Masters,  
Akane and Shampoo, are seeking to entice her to the Light side of the Force, but whether they are successful or not may depend on how Ukyo may come to feel about their own sexual predilections, and whether or not she truly wishes to abandon her engage-  
ment to Ranma in favor of Kasumi...

Meanwhile, unknown to them all, a new menace lurks in the hills overlooking Nerima a sinister force from the past who has come to make life interesting for his own former apprentices, and who does not presently care one way or the other about the ways of the Jedi...

Nodoka sensed that there was something amiss as she reached the Tendo gates with the intent of picking up her husband after having concluded a number of errands. A sense of pain assailed her senses and informed her that something very untoward had happened during her brief absence, so she pushed on inside without bothering to inform anyone of her presence. She moved around to the back area where the garden and dojo were located and found a bit of a commotion going on with Kimiko and Trieste tending to an apparently injured Kasumi.

"Soun-san," Nodoka murmured to the man of the house in tones so soft and unexpected that he jumped in surprise at discovering him so near to him, "What is wrong? What has happened to Kasumi?"

"Oh, it's terrible, Nodoka-san," Soun immediately replied, grateful to have someone in whom to confide in his moment of distress, "Those ruffians attacked my little Kasumi while she and Ranma were on their way to the store seeking to fetch some ingredients for our dinner..."

"What happened to my son?" Nodoka asked, her motherly instincts causing her to prioritize the issue.

"I'm right here, Mom," Ranma appeared from the sidelines, "And I'm okay, I wasn't hurt bad or nothing. It's Kasumi who got hurt..."

"So I see," Nodoka replied a bit brusquely, "And who did the attacking?"

"Those Sith guys, Mousse and Ryoga," Ranma answered, "I tried to take 'em down, but they were using that Force stuff, and then Ucchan showed up and Kayoed Ryoga 'cause she was mad at me and didn't want any interference..."

"So it was Mousse who injured Kasumi," Nodoka made a mental note of this then said, "And where is your father?"

"Uh...Nodoka?" Genma asked meekly as he appeared from the main house and took one sheepish look towards his wife and 'Mistress.'

"And where were you when this all happened?" Nodoka asked with deceptive calm in her voice, "No doubt playing Shogi with Soun-san?"

"Ah..." the barrel-chested man wilted.

Akane and Shampoo pushed rudely past the burly man, both rushing out to find Kasumi laying on a pallet in the dojo with bandages all over her body, at which sight Akane halted in her tracks and said, "Kasumi?"

"She'll be all right, Akane," Nabiki spoke up, making her own presence known with this statement, "She just lost a little blood from multiple shallow cuts. That Mousse character really did a number on her, used something called the Steel Storm maneuver..."

"Mousse?" Shampoo actually staggered, "He do this to Kasumi?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, "I woulda stopped it if I hadn't been fighting with Ucchan at the time, but that Mousse guy really went off on Kasumi, called her all kinds of names and said something about her coming between him and you, Shampoo. I think he was completely nuts or something...wouldn't listen to reason..."

"Those within the grip of the Dark Side are seldom reasonable in their actions," Trieste noted as she straightened up, "From what I have been able to determine, young Mu-Tsu is fixated upon the idea that his failure to win your affections is the fault of everyone else but himself...no doubt a crude transference to prevent having to live up to the realization of his own shortcomings..."

"Mousse...did this to this one's Oath sister?" Shampoo's tone fairly trembled with emotion, though it was more of a mixture between guilt and wrath that shone on her lovely features.

"He's dead meat, I swear it," Akane balled her fists and looked entirely wrathful.

"Vengeance is the way of the Dark Side," Trieste said a bit sharply, "But I do not blame you for harboring such emotions. Just seeing what was done to my young Padawan is enough to make me question my own forbearance. Be of no mind to give heed to your anger...it does you credit that you feel this strongly for your sister, Akane-chan, but you would serve her poorly by delivering yourself to the Sith in a meaningless quest of retribution."

"But this one does not deny that blame should fall to her shoulders," Shampoo said morosely, "This one did not sense the danger to her Oath-sister in time to prevent it from going this far...and it is for her benefit that Kasumi was hurt. Mousse...he never listens to this one...but this one has other means by which she can compel him to listen."

"I feel the same way, Shampoo, honest," Ranma said, "I woulda stomped that moron into the dirt if it was me he was fighting..."

"You let her get hurt?" Akane shifted her focus his way, "What was she doing, trying to protect you?"

"Hey, there were three of them," Ranma said in mild annoyance, "I coulda handled them if it wasn't for the way they kept hitting me with that Force thing..."

"This does not solve anything hurtling blame about this way," Kimiko said in mild reproof, "The fact is that my daughter were injured in battle against a less worthy and far less-than-honorable, and Ranma is not to blame for this...the blame is entirely centered upon the Sith and their unrelenting hatred. I am proud of the way Kasumi has handled herself, defeating a man who lashed out at her in unjustified anger while practicing forbearance. She is a true Samurai at heart, and we would do well to respect her for her accomplishments rather than hurl recriminations for what we might or might not have done differently under similar circumstances."

"Wise words indeed, my Sister," Trieste nodded, "Life is a learning experience...for ever setback there is an opportunity to learn new things, which I trust is the lesson you have gained from this, young Master."

"Uh...yeah," Ranma said sheepishly, "Next time I'll do better...just as soon as I learn how to counteract that Force attack..."

Akane seemed to mull her mother's words over before turning a more aloof look towards Ranma, "I have just one question, then...what happened to Kuonji Ukyo?"

"Ucchan?" Ranma rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Well...after Mousse and Ryoga were out of it, we got to talking...well...kind of like talking while she tried whacking me over the head and skewering me with that Light-thingie. Between Kasumi and me we managed to talk her out of doing anything rash, but she stormed off mad at me on account of...something I said to her..."

"What did you say to her, Little Brother?" Shampoo inquired with a lifted purple eyebrow.

"Ah..." he blushed abruptly and looked away, "Nothing...nothing important..."

"She was angry because you called her cute."

Everyone turned to look at Kasumi, whose eyes were open now and quite clear of the pain that she had previously been experiencing. Nabiki was the one to ask, "Come again, Sis? He called her what?"

"He called her cute," Kasumi repeated, "A very cute girl, and one betrothed to him by a promise made by their fathers."

Attention shifted away from Ranma to Genma in very quick order, and the burly man blinked and looked around in dismay as if wondering why he was suddenly the object of so many hostile expressions.

"What promise?" Nodoka asked, informing him at once of his impending danger.

"The promise that Ranma-kun and Kuonji were to be engaged to be married," Kasumi replied with a stoical expression, "For which the elder Kuonji offered his yatai cart as his daughter's dowry, a yatai cart that was taken by Saotome-san while Ukyo herself was left feeling abandoned and rejected."

"Ah...yeah...that," Ranma said sheepishly before turning a glower at his father, "Thanks again, Old Man, for screwing up both our lives. Small wonder she wants to kill me, and you never even told her about that the other engagement you made with the Tendos."

"Indeed," Nodoka said with cool reproof, "And I was never informed of this either."

Genma looked as though he were sorely tempted to start running...in point of fact his instincts were fairly screaming at him to get moving, but fear of Nodoka left him petrified in the spot where he stood as though his feet were suddenly glued to the tarmac.

"Saotome," even Soun's voice was filled with reproof, "I can't believe that you would jeopardize our arrangement by such a cruel deception."

"I can, Daddy," Nabiki said with an icy expression, "Sounds right up Uncle Genma's ally all right."

"Not nice, Panda-man," Shampoo said in disapproval.

"Hey...but we were starving at the time!" Genma started to defend himself, "I told Kuonji-san that the boy already had a fianc e, but when you've had a taste of their style of cooking..."

"Yeah, thinking with your stomach again," Ranma growled in disgust, "Just like when we were in Shampoo's village..."

"And weren't you also stuffing your face at the same time?" Akane asked in suspicion.

"This does not change anything regarding the present circumstances," Trieste suddenly spoke up, "But there may indeed be a change in the winds for young Kuonji-san if you were able to convince her to desist in her quest of vengeance."

"That is true, Sensei," Kasumi said with concern evident in her voice, "I could feel the change within her as the darkness yielded its grip. She was fighting mainly to stay angry, but I could tell how confused she was, and in the end she had lost a great deal of her anger..."

"She did?" Akane said with a noticeable shift in her own expression, "You mean...she wasn't as mad about what Ranma did to her after she left?"

"I could feel her heart struggling with her head even when we fought together," Kasumi explained, "I was able to defeat her mainly because she had lost a great deal of her focus, and I think she was changing her mind about the whole Sith business when she left us. I could feel the difference within her, Sensei...she really isn't a bad person after all. There's hope for her deep down that she might change..."

"Maybe so," Trieste replied, "In which case she may be in for a great deal more trouble than I think even she suspects."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Dark Purge will sense it if she turning away from her Dark side," Trieste replied, "And how do you think he will react to discovering that his best apprentice is in the process of rejecting his lessons?"

"You mean he might do something bad to her?" Ukyo replied, then said, "Aiyaa..."

"We can't let that happen!" Akane said with urgency, "Sensei, I know she's not really evil. Can't we do anything to help her?"

"Unfortunately, no one can decide the fate of another," Trieste replied, "She must choose her own way, come to terms with her own passions and loyalties and decide which way she must turn from here on, towards the light or towards the darkness. We cannot help her with this decision...she must make it on her own, to succeed or fail on her own terms..."

"We can't do that!" Ranma protested, "Ucchan's gotta be hurting inside...I know what it feels like to get tossed around and rejected! She thinks I betrayed her...I can't abandon for real when she needs me!"

"Unfortunately, Apprentice," Trieste said with emphasis on the word, "You are not the one who can help her most in this time of trial. You have been the cause of much of the anger and grief that she has suffered, and if you went to her now you would only serve as a painful reminder of the years that she has lost with her innocence and childhood."

"Sensei," Kasumi spoke up again, "This one time I must disagree with you. Ranma may be the only one who can get through to Kuonji...he was doing so most effectively before I interfered. Perhaps he can show her how much he truly cares...and she will no longer be lost to the light, swallowed up in darkness..."

Shampoo suddenly noticed that Akane was edging away from the group, moving back into the house while projecting an outwardly calm and neutral expression. She decided to follow the lead of her new friend and moved with Akane beyond the periphery of the conversation taking place within the dojo, then-once out of earshot of the others-she asked, "What are you planning?"

"Hah?" Akane gave her a blank expression.

"This one is not fooled," Shampoo replied, "You are meaning to seek out Kuonji on your own, yes?"

"I've gotta go find her, Shampoo," Akane said as she moved towards the front door to the house, "You heard what Ranma said...she's hurting inside. I know that I can reach her..."

"By yourself?" Shampoo shook her head, "Much too risky."

"But...!"

"We will do this thing together," Shampoo informed her with a smile, "Besides, we cover more ground this way if we pool our resources, yes?"

Akane broke into a grin, "Hey, I'd love to have your help, but...why?"

"Beside the fact that Akane wants this?" Shampoo said with a coy expression, "This one can sense that Spatula girl means more to you than you admit, Akane-  
chan. This one has not decided yet if she should be jealous or concerned...but either way, this one is all in favor of finding and helping Kuonji."

"Then what are we waiting around here for?" Akane smiled as they pushed out the front door and headed for the gates, "If we don't take off now, Sensei will sense what we're planning and order us not to."

"Probably wiser if we not do this," Shampoo said, "But this one's great-  
grandmother never has accused this one of being a very wise person..."

As they took off together, Trieste and Kimiko both turned their heads in the direction which the girls had taken, and Nodoka sense, too, that there was mischief in the winds, to which Kimiko murmured, "Do you think we ought to stop those two from this rash course of action?"

Trieste seemed to think it over for a moment before saying, "No. Let them do as they will for now...but it would be best for all concerned if we remain ready...just in case this does lead to more trouble."

"Speaking of trouble," Nodoka turned to Ranma and said, "I don't suppose you could describe what this Mousse person looks like...in case he shows up here again to cause more trouble?"

"Sure thing, Mom," Ranma replied, "Not too many Chinese guys with wings you're likely to meet in this part of Nerima."

"Remind me sometime, Apprentice, to tell you about our visit to a place called Jusendo," Trieste duly noted, "Kasumi and I could tell you quite a lot about it."

"Oh yes," Kasumi agreed, "A fascinating place filled with interesting people, such as the Bird Folk of Jusendo mountain..."

"Bird folk?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow, "For real?"

"It was not the strangest place we visited in our travels," Trieste duly noted, "Nor even the most Exotic...but it does rank high among the more memorable experiences that your sister and I have gone through together..."

"Here they are, Boss," Taro declared as he unceremoniously dumped the unconscious bodies of Mousse and Ryoga down to one side of the campfire, "Two losers, just like you ordered."

"Excellent," Darth Purge replied as he regarded his fallen charges with a look that might have been derisive had his face been that of a human, "Two fools who strayed off on their own and got properly chastised for their efforts. Let us hope that the next time they show a measure more of good sense and listen when I give them an order."

"You ain't gonna get rid of them for failure?" Taro asked with faint surprise in his own quite human expression.

"Too wasteful," Darth Purge replied, "And far too merciful for my standards. I still have a use for the both of them, and as long as this is so I will continue to forbear with their incompetence...but be assured, my patience is exceedingly thin with the both of them at this particular moment."

"Should have sent me in their place," Taro replied, "I'd have handled both the frail and the Fem-boy with no problems..."

"Taro," Purge chuckled softly, "You are much too transparent. Your ambitions are clear enough to me, but you are not yet the tempered weapon that I need to go up against even an apprenticed Jedi, though you are probably skilled enough to take the hermaphrodite without too much problem. Have patience and learn to better master the Force before you throw yourself into the battle."

"Hey, I've been fighting nearly all of my life, and winning too, long before I joined your little freak circus," Taro complained, "And as tough as they are, I don't think even that Jedi woman could take me on in my cursed form. Besides, you never know until you try, right?"

"But you are not yet the equal of Ukyo, my true Apprentice," Purge noted, "And she has defeated you numerous times in practice, and in either of your two forms, yes?"

Taro got sullen about that, "S'different...she ain't exactly like a normal girl, right?"

"True enough," Purge replied, "But I am...disturbed about her most recent performance. Her thoughts are clouded to me now. I cannot clearly sense what she is thinking. Once she was the perfect weapon, her anger and her hate as clear and focused as a blade that brooks no opposition...now...she is confused...she doubts her own way. Somehow she has changed, and not for the better. It may well be that she is turning to the Light side, in which case she could become an enemy instead of a pawn, and if that is the case, then she must either be convinced to turn back or...be dealt with at my leisure."

"So, you think she's gonna get all nice and noble on us, huh?" Taro sniffed, "I always knew she didn't have the stomach to hack it."

"You do not like her very much," Purge observed, "I have noticed for some time that you have singular thoughts regarding her, perhaps because you believe that she has rejected you and offended your manhood."

"You think I give a fig about her one way or another?" Taro scowled.

"In all honesty, yes," Purge replied, "It is in the nature of you Ape-born life-  
forms to regard any female who rises up above her proper station as an affront to your own status. You would like very much to have her bow the neck to you, to wait on you hand and foot as your slave and plaything, and the fact that she clearly rejects or ignores your masculine charms is an insult that you would like to see...corrected. Am I right about this?"

Taro was silent for a very long moment before admitting aloud, "Maybe..."

"That is why I am your Master," Purge revealed, "I know your mind even better than you know yourself, and because my ancestors were cold blooded, I have a clearer perspective on such matters. You must learn to think with more than your hormones if you wish to rise above Kuonji, Taro-san. Dream well of what you will do with her when you have beaten her into submission, but keep your eyes in focus upon the present level of your abilities, which could stand some decided improvement if you pay more attention to your lessons and worry less about finding the one whom you believe has wronged you."

"Hey, I got it together, Boss," Taro insisted, "I know I gotta learn to crawl before I can run, and I know that this is the way I gotta go if I'm gonna find the miserable dwarf who cursed me and made my life a living hell. Yeah, sure, I'd love to have the bitch spread her legs for me, but she ain't that much of a woman that I'd do more than spit on her if she tried that. One of these days we're gonna settle accounts about who's top dog around here, and Miss Kitty better watch herself the day that happens 'cause I ain't forgetting about nothing, least of all her head when I stuff and mount it."

"Fine sentiments, and worthy of a Sith lord," Purge replied, "But so far I only hear talk, I don't see any actual improvement in your technique."

"You want to see improvements, fine," Taro resolved, "I'll give you an improvement by handing Fem-boy's head to you the next time I see him."

"If you wish to impress me, Boy, then improve to the point where you can do that with the Jedi student known as Kasumi," Purge revealed, giving the winged Mousse a kick of mild disgust for emphasis, "Even this fool managed to score some hits on her, though he was easily defeated. And as for Ryoga...the fool needs to learn to grow eyes in his back. He is all blunt force with no brains behind it, a hammer where a surgeon's scalpel could do the task much better. Try not to be like either of them, use them as examples of what to avoid in the future."

"I still don't see why you don't just off 'em," Taro grumbled.

"Now, now," Purge chided, "Pawns have their value in the Earth game you call Chess, you know. You can sacrifice one to gain an advantage, and you never know when one might turn out to be a Queen in disguise, so I will continue to make use of them fore now...AFTER I express my supreme displeasure for their disobedience and failure."

Despite himself Taro shuddered upon hearing this, knowing full well how sadistic his "Master" could be when administering the "punishment" for bad behavior. He silently averred that he wold not himself do anything to provoke in purge a desire for Taro's "punishment" for any such similar misbehavior.

"Now go," Purge commanded, "Find Kuonji and bring her back here so that I may...debrief her. In the meantime...I have to revive these two fools to renew their education."

"Sure thing," Taro turned about without glancing back, not wanting to be bothered with the details. It was not that he minded watching Purge in action, but when his Master was in the mind to administer some torture...well...it was healthier to be somewhere else at these times. Besides, hunting down Kuonji would be a good way to get his mind off of other pursuits, like a certain fruitless quest that was the sole obsession of his life and the main reason for his joining up with the Sith in the first place.

And have ten long, frustrating years of endless searching, he was beginning to wonder if he would ever find his worthless godfather, the one who had named him and turned him into a man-beast, the legendary fighter and most evil of all Martial artists, a title that Taro intended to put to the test should their paths finally cross in the unknown and uncertain future...

"Wonderful food...just keep the bowls coming!" chortled the little man currently finishing off his twentieth bowl of hot Ramen, "A man needs to build up his strength when he's been sleeping in a cave as long as I have...and just remember to put the tab on the Tendo dojo...you got their address from me, right?"

The waitress currently serving the little man just nodded, being careful to hold her serving tray up over her chest as she watched the voracious little gnome slurping down on the noodles as though they were going out of fashion.

"Please Sir," she pleaded softly, "You have to be leaving soon...the other customers are beginning to complain about your table manners, and do you want me to get in trouble with my boss?"

"What, him?" Happosai barely paused in his eating to hook a finger at the new hole in the wall that had been created by the Manager's abrupt exit, "Don't worry about him, little Lady...and if folks don't have sense enough to mind their own business, then they have no business looking my way. Ah...this is good!" he remarked as he popped a riceball into his mouth and chewed it down in one mighty gulp.

Kimi had to admit that it would be a while before her employer regained enough of his wits to be upset with her for catering to this bottomless pit that she might laughingly call a customer, even though the little man looked like he did not have a yen-piece to his own name, and imagine him sponging off a nice family like the Tendos! She had half a mind to call them up and complain about someone claiming to be the long-lost founder of their school, or something like that. Certainly the fossil looked old enough to have been around during the Meiji era, but with his grabby hands and lively disposition she doubted he would qualify for senior citizen status.

"Ah...this is good!" Happosai sighed in semi-contentment, "Ten long years without food...you couldn't imagine how hard that was...having to slow my metabolism down to where I was barely crawling in any regular timesense. Good thing I've got a constitution that can easily wear through such things, but it leaves an empty pit in your belly that's nearly as hard to take as being deprived of the companionship of beautiful ladies like yourself. Speaking of which..."

Kimi instinctively backed away, but this time the target of the diminutive Echi's wrath turned out to be another waitress, who suddenly found his hands attached to her fanny. Yuki gave a yelp and tried to dislodge the pervert, but his hands were all over her and he was next snuggled up to her chest, rubbing his face against her bosom and purring with a contented sigh as if savoring a nice set of "pillows."

All at once the little man let her go, surprising Yuki as much as Kimi since a crowbar would have been insufficient to such a task. To their amazement the little man turned his focus away from them and said, "Akane? Was that her...and who's the cutie with her? YOWZA!"

This surprised both waitresses, who saw the annoying little man go bounding out the door as though his pants were on fire. They turned to see whatever it was that had distracted him but were too late to catch the sight of a pair of young girls running over a nearby rooftop at great speed, the first girl being dark haired in a faded white martial arts gi, the other a purple haired exotic beauty whose Chinese jumpsuit did little to hint at the excellent figure which she was sporting.

Happosai had seen all this, however, and knew instinctively that the lead girl was none other than the grown-up child that he had witnessed when she was but a mere baby. How exactly he could tell that she was a Tendo and not some total stranger was beyond ordinary mortal comprehension, but not for nothing was Happosai known as the world's most perverted martial arts master.

Akane and Shampoo, of course, were oblivious to the fact that they had just gained an audience of one who was happily on their trail, though Shampoo did sense an odd disturbance in the Force moving somewhere faintly behind them.

"Aiyaa," she murmured to herself, wondering if she should inform her new friend that this neighborhood was a haunt for demons.

"Over there!" Akane pointed somewhat forward, "I can sense something moving that way...it feels a little like Kuonji..."

"How can you know this?" Shampoo wondered.

"I put a mental tracer on her when we fought earlier," Akane revealed, "She was too upset at the time to even know I'd done it."

"Tracer?" Shampoo asked with lifted eyebrows.

"It's a trick I learned how to do a long time ago," Akane explained, "Back when I was little I tended to lose a lot of stuff if I wasn't careful about where I put it. I figured out that there's a way of putting a mental marker on an object so that I can sense it when I get close enough...it helps me to locate it when it turns up missing."

"A very interesting and useful skill," Shampoo complimented, "So...what part of Kuonji did you mark?"

"Her spatula, of course," Akane smiled, "She seems to take it everywhere she goes, so if I find it I'll bet we can find Kuonji."

"Assuming that she does not sense what you have done and know how to cancel it out," Shampoo duly noted, only to give a start as she sensed a strong movement in the force directly ahead of them, to which she said, "Aiyaa..."

"See? What did I tell you," Akane smirked, but then she sobered again and said, "That's definitely Ukyo...but she doesn't seem too happy."

"This one suggests that we slow down and approach her at a somewhat more normal rate of speed," Shampoo suggested.

"Good idea," Akane replied, "Wouldn't do to make her think we're coming after her for revenge or anything like that. We just want to talk and maybe help her out with her problems."

"Assuming that she is of a mind to let us," Shampoo softly agreed, still not entirely convinced that this Kuonji person could be persuaded to see reason.

Ukyo herself was much too deep into her own thoughts to sense the approach of the two Jedi Force Masters, still feeling confused and conflicted about her recent encounter with Kasumi and Ranma to be much on her guard against external matters. There were too many conflicting emotions at work in her own mind for her to feel at all comfortable with the idea of returning to base camp and a possible confrontation with her Master. Of a certainly she did not want to brace herself against the likes of Pantsaru Taro, whom she knew would take advantage of her state to challenge her status as a Sith Adept.

And why was she feeling this way anyhow, she wondered. So Ranma had called her cute and even apologized for what he and his father had done to her all those years ago. So she had lost a match against Kasumi, who clearly had her own designs on Ukyo's iinazuke. So she was no longer as certain about her quest for revenge or the passions that had driven her throughout most of her life. How then did this affect her status if she was no longer the angry, vengeful girl who had risen so far in the eyes of her Master?

Ukyo looked at her hands, recalling vividly how it felt when she had been fighting against Kasumi, and how easily the Jedi had overmastered her, disarming Ukyo almost without apparent effort. The Force had been stronger in her opponent-slash-rival, it flowed far more easily and that had told the battle as much as any skill on their mutual parts. Ukyo knew that she was strong, knew that her combat skills had few peers and that she should by right have been the victor in that battle...and yet-when she had needed it most-the Force had seemingly deserted her, leaving her prey to the skills and mastery demonstrated by Kasumi.

Was that it? Was she losing her powers? Had her mastery of the Force deteriorated during that battle...or had she been fighting with less than her full intensity and focus? In a battle such as this the power of the will was as much a deciding factor as any skill of the body. Martial artists trained themselves so that every action they performed came without effort, almost second nature. One did not think out their moves so much as react intuitively from one motion to the other, each step and action honed by repetitive practice to where they came as natural as breathing. The body took care of itself in a fight, her Master would say, freeing the Mind to function upon the higher levels that were needed to channel the Force in a given direction. Ideally a Sith Lord's mind and body flowed in tandem from the same source of limitless hatred, the black wellspring of outrage and anger that drove Ukyo to surpass herself as an instrument of vengeance.

And yet...without that hatred, without the rage and pain that had been the guiding light of her existence...what else was there to draw upon? If she was losing her rage...what did she have to fall back upon? If she did not have vengeance as her rallying cry, what cause then would she serve, and what would be her guiding definition?

She thought back upon her father, on the boiling rage that lay beneath the surface of her ten year quest for retribution. Her mother had died when she was too young to remember her, but her father had been there in her youth acting as both guardian and mentor, teaching her to cook and how to employ the family combat styles that had been disguised to look like innocent Chef skills so that they could pass undetected and operate effectively like Ninja. The Kuonjis for many generations had been the secret eyes and ears of the Tokugawa Shogunate, passing undetected from one province to the other without raising the suspicions of their enemies, only emerging to strike when the defenses of their enemies was weakest. Her father had been the last of a proud line of quasi-spies and assassins, yet his primary love was the cooking of okonomiyaki, a love he had passed down to Ukyo in spite of the way he treated her, more like a Son than as a daughter, which is probably what he had wanted of her in the first place.

And then the fool had died and left her in the company of a Stepmother with whom Ukyo could barely get along. Having two step-sisters who were not oriented to the martial arts had been awkward enough without her Step-mother regarding Ukyo as a "bad influence," rough hewn in manners and essentially Tomboyish. If Darth Purge had not come along when he had it was likely that Ukyo would have been driven to distraction, and turning her back on the family she had never wanted had been the right move for her she believed with absolute conviction.

If only her father had confided in her that he was dying when he made that stupid pact with the Saotome...but NO, a traditional minded sort like him would never think to consult his only child about a decision that basically would affect her entire existence. For the longest time Ukyo had hated her father's memory and cursed him for leaving her alone...for abandoning her, even worse than the Saotomes! Even now she felt her rage rekindled when she thought about him hiding how sick he was from her, letting her find out almost too late that he was dying from cancer...

"You are skilled," Kasumi's voice said in the back of her mind, "But you are not my equal. Your hate has blinded you, it has made you weak and easy to manipulate. Your Master is using you and you are intelligent enough to see it. Do not force me to hurt you...there has been enough pain in both of your lives. Can you not see that Ranma is already hurting...?"

Ukyo frowned, recalling the hurt look that Ranma had been giving her, the look of a whipped puppy who was asking what he had done to deserve ill treatment. The unbidden image of pain and abandonment by a friend were hauntingly familiar to her, so much so that Ukyo tried to look away but mentally found herself looking back with a sense that her anger had been directed at the entirely wrong party...

"I did not defeat you," Kasumi said calmly, "You defeated yourself. Hate and anger make you weak, cause you to scatter your focus and divert the flow of your emotions so that you do not know who it is that you hate more...me...or yourself..."

Again the annoying voice within her mind, playing back those hateful accusations, in essence telling Ukyo that she had been misguided in her quest and that those things which she had thought had made her strong had betrayed her internally, leaving her weak, forlorn and empty...

"NO!" she insisted aloud, "I haven't wasted all these years just to give up like this! I still have my pride as a woman..."

Ranma's voice echoed in her mind as she once again saw and felt the hurt in his expression, "I got more mistakes to regret than I hope ever know about, Ucchan, but...for what it's worth...yeah...I screwed up...I made a mistake and I let the Old Man pull a number on me...ain't the first time, probably won't be the last...but I never did anything to hurt you, Ucchan...you gotta believe me..."

"Why should I?" Ukyo had demanded, "Do you know what I've been through? All the years I've suffered and slaved away because of you...?"

"Then you wasted your time," Ranma said, "Ucchan...I ain't worth it. A pretty girl like you oughta have a better reason to live than to beat up on some guy who ain't got nothing in this world but a curse that makes me look worse than you ever could..."

Not worth it? Did he really think that about himself? Was he telling her that she had spent ten years chasing a memory when the guy she was after effectively had never even existed? And why did he think he curse made him such a special case for misery? He should try living with hers...at least as a girl he looked more human!

"That stupid Jackass," she growled under her breath, "And why did he have to go and call me pretty...?" She was not at all prepared for the wealth of conflicting emotions inspired by that off-handed comment...

Off to the side, just beyond the range of her hearing, Akane and Shampoo stood poised behind some bushes as they watched the okonomiyaki-chef-slash Sith Apprentice standing along the rail of the park bridge where they had found her. They could not hear words coming from their intended quarry, of course, but they could see her lips moving and the expressions of hurt and rage that alternately played about her features, causing her aura to flicker noticeably from the dark to lighter shades of gray, reflecting her inner quarrels.

"This one wonders what she is saying," Shampoo remarked, "Is too far away to lip read...and is no doubt in Japanese..."

"She's probably debating something important," Akane said, "Look...can you wait here and stay out of sight? I want to go and talk to her, and I think I can do it without us getting into a fight. If she sees you, though..."

"This one understands," the Amazon nodded, "Shampoo will watch and only act if she thinks Akane is in need of her assistance."

"Thanks," Akane grinned, "Have I ever told you that you're terrific?"

"Not in last five minutes," Shampoo replied with a coy expression, "But you may praise this one lavishly...after you return from mission."

"Right, got it," Akane said as she straightened out, "Wish me luck."

"Good hunting," Shampoo deadpanned, waiting to see what would develop from this interesting situation.

"What does that Baka think he's doing trying to suck up to me and get me to abandon my quest?" Ukyo was just then complaining in a rather feeble attempt at working herself back up into a lather, "Does he honestly think I'll just fall into his arms and swoon over him because he called me Cute...?"

"I sure hope not," a familiar voice said from almost directly behind her, "Though I have to say that for once I agree with the baka in question."

Ukyo's reflexes came into play as she gripped the handle of her bakers peel and whirled about with a backward slash aimed at the source of that voice...but once again-just as before-her target hopped over the slash and landed with bare feet planted firmly on the flat of the baker's peel, forcing Ukyo to once again bear the weight of Akane Tendo.

"Hey, no need to take my head off," Akane said, "I was just paying you a compliment..."

"You?" Ukyo's eyes narrowed, "What do you want, Tendo?"

"Well, that's a nice way to say Hi," Akane sniffed, "I heard about the fight you had with Ranma and Kasumi and I...wanted to see how you were."

"How I am?" Ukyo blinked, then her eyes narrowed with suspicion, "You mean pay me back for attacking your sister?"

"You weren't the one to hurt her, right?" Akane asked, "That was that Mousse guy, the one who's after Shampoo-chan. Besides, I know Kasumi...she's not that easy. If you went up against her you wouldn't stand any better chance of it than me, and I know how she fights. It's more like you would have been hurt if Kasumi was at all serious about it."

"Are you for real?" Ukyo frowned, "So...if you're not here for revenge...what are you here for?"

Akane hopped off the giant spatula and landed on the bridge beside Ukyo, "I just wanted to see how you were. I mean...you must be in a lot of trouble with your boss right now, losing like that with Oneechan. It must get pretty confusing, even if you guys were fighting over the Baka."

"Ranchan?" Ukyo studied the dark haired girl a moment before saying, "You don't like him all that much, do you?"

"What's to like?" Akane shrugged, "Aside from being a good fighter he's a rude, ill-mannered thug, and for the life of me I don't see what my sisters find so nice about him. He calls me names and constantly insults me and if I wanted that I'd hang out with the boys in our school and listen to their locker room gossip."

Ukyo narrowed her eyes for a bit before slinging her baker's peel back over her shoulder, then said aloud, "Been there and done that."

"Oh...yeah," Akane said sheepishly, "You've actually been inside a boy's locker room?"

"I..." Ukyo turned away, "Sometimes...though I usually get a medical pass to get out of having to undress in front of the other guys. That part about dressing up like a boy...well...it's basically overrated..."

"I guess," Akane smiled more sincerely, "Just so you know, I'm not holding it against you. The fight, that is...you came looking for Ranma and wound up going up against Kasumi, rather than the other way around, right?"

"Yeah," Ukyo admitted, "She got in my way, but it wasn't her I was gunning for, it was Ranchan. Turns out the baka is even harder to nail than I thought, but the one who was looking to mix it up with Kasumi was Mousse...which is kind of funny since I was under the impression that he after Ranma and not her. I thought the half-blind fool was out to take Shampoo away from Ranma's clutches and just considered Kasumi like a not-so-innocent bystander."

"Well, she got cut up pretty bad by him, so I don't think he very much likes her, which is weird," Akane noted, "Everybody likes Kasumi. She's one of the nicest people you could ever hope to know, and just because she and Shampoo had a thing together..."

"A...thing?" Ukyo blinked.

"Oh...yeah," Akane said coyly, "You've seen Shampoo, right? Great legs, huge breasts, nice body? Got a really cutesy voice and a real baby-doll personality. Not surprised that Mousse guy has a thing for her, just about anyone would go for a cute babe like that, right?"

Ukyo missed the wry look Akane tossed back over her shoulder towards a particular set of bushes as she instead tried to figure out the significance of what else the Tendo girl had revealed with that statement. Very slowly she started to put it all together, "Wait a minute...are you saying that inflatable ditz...and your sister...?"

"Uh-huh," Akane nodded, "They met in China, and while I don't know the details of how it happened, I know that they got really close to one another, so close that Shampoo now thinks of her as if she were her own big sister."

"You mean she's Gay?" Ukyo further blinked.

"No," Akane shook her head with a smile, "Try again...she's Bi, as in she likes both guys and girls equally. Does that shock you?"

"Frankly yes," Ukyo replied, "I never made her out to be the type..."

"And what type is that?" Akane asked with a lilting of her eyebrows.

"You know..." Ukyo made a vague gesture with her hands, "A pervert...I mean...somebody who does unnatural things with their body...with someone else's body...I...ah...how is that even possible? I mean, they don't have dicks, so...?"

Akane's laughter had a musical quality to it that was entirely lighthearted and utterly devoid of any trace of the darkness, "You don't need to have a dick to have fun, Ukyo...and dicks are largely overrated, not that I've ever tried one myself. Frankly, I can't even stand to look at a guy in that way...most guys I know make my skin crawl...all except for this one guy...but he hardly even knows that I exist, so..."

"Wait a minute," Ukyo blinked again, "What are you saying? That you...?"

"Swing left handed?" Akane replied, "Afraid so. Why, is that a problem?"

"Ah..." Ukyo took a decided step back as she regarded the long-haired Tendo girl with a wary expression, "Now just hold on a moment here, Sugar...you don't think...?"

"I try not to," Akane replied, "It gets in the way most of the time, and you don't have to look at me like I'm going to jump on your or anything like that...yet."

"Yet?" Ukyo was aware that her voice was off by about an octave but could hardly pause to think about what sort of impression this would leave as she replied, "Now wait just a damned second. You don't think that I...?"

"Well gee," Akane inclined her head to one side, "You dress like a boy, you act like one, you've even hung around in the guys' locker room...why would I possibly get any ideas like that about you? Can you imagine?"

"Ah...well..." Ukyo reluctantly conceded.

"Ukyo," Akane said sincerely, her face empty of guile and entirely friendly, "You don't have to be afraid of me...now that you know this much about me. But you don't have to worry about me either. You see...we're more alike that you realize, and us Tomboys have to stand up for one another, right? That's why I can never think of you as an enemy...in fact, I mean it when I said that I wanted to be your friend. I know you've been hurt and wronged by that Baka, Ranma, but I'd never hurt you like that, honest..."

"But...that doesn't mean that I..." Ukyo started to protest.

"Ukyo," Akane said again, "I'm not here to put pressure on you...I'm sure you have enough people doing that already. I just wanted you to know that if you need a friend, I'm here for you. I can really imagine what you're facing right now, being confused and lonely about stuff, but I don't want to add to that, even if I mean it when I say that I think that you're a really cute girl and you don't have to go through this all by yourself. You also don't have to give me an answer...if you want me to keep away, that's all right too, just so you know it."

"But...I'm not gay...honest!" Ukyo did protest, "Okay, maybe I've played at being a boy, but that doesn't mean I am one inside..."

"Who are you trying to convince of that?" Akane asked with a sweet expression, "You think I wasn't confused when I started to feel these urges? One moment I feel funny looking at another girl, the next thing is I'm thinking about the way she looked, the way she moved, the way she smelled and acted. I didn't understand any of it...until Sensei and Mom explained things to me. It's not unnatural or weird or anything like that...it's just a part of living...like being attracted to a guy, only you're a lot nicer."

"But...uh..." for once in her life Ukyo was utterly at a loss to respond to this, never having even imagined herself being in this type of situation.

"Look," Akane boldly stepped forward and put her hand on Ukyo's shoulder, "I know it's Ranma you're really thinking about...the Kami know why since I find him so annoying. But if you want to know what it's like...then just relax and I'll show you..."

"Show me...?" Ukyo started to back away when she found the bridge railing blocking her off from her escape, and before she could think to move to the side she found Akane leaning in close to her, tipping her mouth up and standing on tip-toes as their lips came together, and before Ukyo knew it the both of them were kissing...

"Hiyaa," Shampoo softly murmured, growing excited just watching her new friend go to work upon the reluctant Kuonji, "She good...very good...Spatula girl never even know what hit her..."

"So, you like to watch, do you, Cutie?" a lusty voice said beside her, "Me, I'm more of a hands-on kind of fellow..."

Ukyo fumbled with her hands, intending to push the other girl away but instead going around Akane's waist in order to steady herself as her head started whirling with a confusing swirl of conflicting emotions. No one passion gained preeminence above another as she marveled at the softness of the kiss, how nice it felt to hold the other girl in her arms, and how very different Akane felt from what she would have imagined.

She was only just attempting to come to terms with the kiss when a very loud, "AAAIIIIYEEEEEZ!" shattered the tableau and caused both girls to break off as they both turned to see the startled form of Shampoo jumping up out of the bushes. The purple haired girl seemed terribly agitated, and-moreover-to have gained a new attachment to her chest in the form of a diminutive black-  
robed figure that was hugging her closely and rubbing his face into her cleavage.

"What the hell?" Ukyo asked with many levels of surprise in her expression.

"Shampoo?" Akane blinked, "But...who's that with her...?"

"YOWZA!" the diminutive form replied as it detached itself from the agitated Amazon and went bounding onto the bridge to plant itself in the arms of an astonished Tendo girl, "AKANE-CHAN! You're all grown up into a woman!"

"HEY!" Akane tried to repel the little man but he was so fast that she found herself exerting real force in order to pry him off her body, "LEGGO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING...?"

It took Ukyo less than three seconds to define the problem, and much less than that to draw her combat spatula and employ it like a massive fly-swatter, catching the little man on the top of his head and smacking him to the ground without touching the skin of Akane.

"PERVERT!" she declared angrily, "What the hell do you think you're doing grabbing girls like that, you Jackass?"

"Ow..." the man softly murmured from where he lay splayed out on the wooden bridge, "Why did you do that...that wasn't nice..."

"He's still alive?" Ukyo was frankly surprised about that, raising her spatula again, "Well, we'll just see about that..."

"Ukyo?" Akane's voice directed the angry chef away from her intended target...long enough for Ukyo to discover the reason for the Tendo girl's inquiring statement, "Hah...?"

Somehow the little man had managed to grab hold of Akane's belt on his way to the floor, and with it yanked down to Akane's ankles her gi top now flew open as an errant breeze parted it to the side, revealing a rather startling fact in that Akane was not wearing a bra, and had light brown areola about her right breast nipple.

"Ah..." Akane seemed mildly stunned, and absently closed her top up again, having given that brief show without intentions, "What...happened to my...?"

"Is same thing happen to Shampoo's," said a very agitated Amazon as Shampoo stalked up with an accusing glare at the fallen pervert, "Little man take this one's halter top out from under her nose, do the same thing with Akane. He is a very bad little man, and very dangerous if this one judge matters right."

"And where the hell did you come from, Sugar?" Ukyo asked suspiciously, "And if you say China..."

"What are you doing here, Shampoo?" Akane gave her friend an innocent look that both interpreted a certain way, feigning innocence and hoping that Ukyo would not grow even more suspicious.

Fortunately for her Shampoo proved a halfway capable actress, "Keeping eyes on you, Sister to my Sister. It is not every day that you consort with enemies of your family, not that this one sees any problem worth intervention..."

"Yeah, you and what army?" Ukyo glanced down, "But what I wanna know is who the hell this little twerp-HEY! Where did he go?"

Akane's eyes widened and she looked right past the Sith lady's shoulder, "Ukyo-  
-!"

"Well say," the wizened little man remarked as he leaned forward from where he was perched along the railing, "What do you know? I thought you were a boy putting the moves on little Akane, but it looks like I was wrong for once..."

"You Jack-!" Ukyo started to turn around and bring her spatula into play, but to her astonishment the little man moved quicker and batted the heavy object out of her hands, sending it flying off to the sides as though hurled with great effort.

"...There's no mistaking it, you smell just like a girl," the little man grinned broadly, "But there's one way to confirm it-YOWZA!"

"AWK!" Ukyo staggered backwards as she suddenly found the little man had glomped onto her, and try as she might she could not push him away for all her great strength and Force manipulation.

"Get him off of her!" Akane cried, though she belatedly realized that Shampoo was a step ahead of her and was trying to do just that, using her hands like a crow-bar to pry the little man off of the disoriented Sith lady. Akane joined in and together they managed to achieve this, but not before the tiny man came away clutching a prized possession to his chest and rubbing his face in it as he happily declared, "I KNEW IT! I KNEW SHE WAS A WOMAN!"

"Heck, I could have told you that," Akane sniffed.

"Why bad man do such thing?" Shampoo demanded, "You should not take liberties with a woman's body without first asking!"

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo eyed both Akane and Shampoo suspiciously before saying, "Then who, besides the twerp, was just copping a feel on me while allegedly helping me out?"

"Ah..." both Akane and Shampoo said with mutually "innocent" seeming expressions.

"Well then," the little man got up and stuffed the wrap that he had taken from Ukyo into his gi, "Now that we've settled all that, introductions are in order. Akane-chan, you may not remember me, but I remember you from when you were too little to remember."

"Huh?" Akane blinked, "Remember you...?"

"I'm Happosai," the little man revealed, "I'm your father's Master, the founder of the Anything Goes school...though you can call me Grandfather."

"Grandfather?" all three girls chorused together.

"Hey...wait a minute," Ukyo blinked, "Happosai? I've heard that name before..."

"Well, I sure haven't," Akane scowled, "Just what kind of a scam are you trying to run here? No way do I believe that you're my father's teacher..."

"Very bad man should not claim kinship to honorable house of Tendo," Shampoo sniffed, only to blink her eyes and say, "Happo-Sai? Is very strange name...where has this one heard of it before...?"

"Well, it's true that I have spent the last ten years locked up in a cave sleeping off one mother of a hangover," Happosai revealed, "But I really am your father's mentor...and Genma's as well. In fact, those two were my students long before any of you young lovelies were born...taught 'em everything they know about life and the Martial Arts..."

"That explains a few things," Ukyo's lovely face darkened, "Now I remember! Happosai...that's the name Pantyhose Taro likes to throw around whenever he gets pissed off about something..."

"Pantyhose Taro?" Happosai blinked, "My little Godson? Why, how is the little lad doing these days? I haven't seen Pantsaru since I helped with his Christening..."

"Pantyhose?" Akane blinked, "Is that a nickname or...?"

"It sounds like a perfectly acceptable Amazon name," Shampoo remarked, "But is unusual to give to man...name more like woman..."

"If you guys are trying to get on my bad side by making fun of me," a coldly malevolent voice remarked, "You're off to a great start."

"Taro?" Ukyo was instantly on her guard as the others turned to see the tall young man in the strange outfit that shone with dragonscales and other odd accessories.

"That's Taro?" Akane frowned, seeing an unusually handsome boy instead of the awful monster that she had fought against the other day.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo sensed the power in the boy and was instantly poised at the ready.

"Pantyhose?" Happosai turned around to see the source of the odd shadow that had fallen over him while his attention had been directed towards the ladies.

"I'll say this only once, Old Man," Taro replied as he lifted up a cantina and poured its contents over his head, his voice deepening sharply as he bellowed, "DON'T CALL ME PANTYHOSE!"

His voice trailed off into a bellow, and then a fist the size of a large melon crashed down and drove Happosai through the floorboards like the proverbial tent peg, creating a large hole in the bridge in the process.

Shampoo staggered backwards, but Akane had been in the act of leaping when she lost her balance and found herself toppling over the railing.

"WHOAH!" she gasped.

"Akane!" Ukyo saw the other girl's peril and immediately made a grab for her, reacting instinctively by extending the Force in order to catch her.

Unfortunately, in doing so, she left herself wide open, and though Shampoo tried to call out a warning, only to see the looming Minotaur-like creature stomp one massive foot on the bridge, which sent them all flying backwards.

Taro smiled in bestial satisfaction as he watched three forms plunge into the river, but his smile grew into a scowl as he heard a voice said at his side, "Now that wasn't very nice, Boy. I'd have thought your Momma would have taught you better manners than that."

Taro spread his wings wide and glared at the little man, no longer capable of human speech but more than capable of expressing himself in other ways as he cracked his knuckles together and exposed teeth that would have done justice to a team of Oxen.

"So...you think you're tough stuff, you little Punk?" Happosai smiled back as he sensed impending mayhem in the works, "Well, you've come to the right teacher..."

The fight was on immediately while two heads emerged from the rolling river, one sputtering out water and coughing, "Is friend of yours?"

"I wouldn't put it that way, no," Ukyo coughed, "More like dead meat when I get my hands on the bastard..."

Shampoo paused to notice the sounds of mayhem threatening to bring the bridge down on both of their heads and said, "Maybe we drift a while, get out of zone of danger."

"Good call," Ukyo agreed, "Sounds like Taro's finally happy...he's bagged his quarry, now let's see if he can reel him in."

"Which one you root for?" Shampoo asked.

"To be honest...I hope the bridge collapses and drags them both to the bottom," Ukyo remarked as they drifted a bit farther, only to pause and said, "Hey...are we missing somebody?"

"Akane?" Shampoo looked frantically around, "This one does not see her..."

"You don't suppose...does she know how to swim?" Ukyo asked, then as one both girls gave mutually alarmed looks and at once took deep breaths to go plunging back into the river. It would take them both a full minute to find their mutual quarry, and then take turns with CPR reviving her further down the river...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/CPR and Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitations for Anime Fems:

shadowmane

Next Time Up: Happosai meets Purge...is this the beginning of something truly awful for the Tendos? Tune in next time for: "Dark and Perverted," or, "Hey Babe, Take a Walk on the Dark Side!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: angcobra1. All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  



	15. Chapter 15

Jedi Kasumi 15

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Fifteen:

A long, long time ago,  
In a prefecture not far away,  
The Tendo Family was under An assault...

A Sith Lord whose name is Darth Purge Was feeling Mightily in the urge, to cause Them grief, to which they would give halt...

The Jedi Knight they called Trieste Would put the Sith Lord to the test,  
She taught Kasumi the ways of the Force And passed this on to her sisters in due course...

Darth Purge had servants dark and mean Who challenged the Jedi and made a scene,  
But the Tendos had allies both sharp and keen An Amazon girl and...a Boy...named Ranma...

Oh my, my, this here Ranma's a guy Who turns girlish when he's wetted but still one a heck of a guy!  
He learned the Force both Dark and Light in due time Saying: Don't you clowns dare get in my way!  
I'm gonna be the best there is someday...

(To the tune of: "American Pie"  
inspired by the adaptation done by Weird Al Yonkavich)

Kasumi gave a sharp gasp and sat upright, startling those nearest to her as the mind-mannered Jedi Apprentice had seemed to be sleeping soundly only moments before this. Kasumi turned and looked sharply off to one side as if seeing something that was not visible to the rest, but Trieste sensed the disturbance in her Padawan and turned her own mind towards the same direction, perceiving the disturbance that had awaken Kasumi from her healing trance and oriented around her absent sister.

"Akane-chan..." Kasumi murmured in faint worry.

"What was that?" her mother asked, "What about Akane?"

"She's gone off on her own again to face the Sith," Trieste revealed, "And Shampoo is with her."

"Shampoo..." Kasumi murmured, "I...I had a brief sense of a terrible darkness looming over them, and then...I felt as though I were drowning in water...but I...think everything is all right now. It was a crisis point, Sensei..."

"Indeed," Trieste concurred, "A crisis that has come and passed without more serious issue. They were lucky...they may not be so lucky the next time."

"Where are they?" Kimiko asked, "If Akane's in some kind of trouble..."

"No," Trieste said with an odd look in her expression, "I sense that the best thing to do for now would be to remain here and wait until we are needed. Akane is in good hands, my Sister, at least for the present."

"I should go to her," Kasumi started to sit upright, "I feel much better now, Sensei..."

"Lay still and don't be a bother to us, Kasumi," Trieste instructed, though not unkindly, "Your healing trance may have restored some of your vitality, but you need to replenish the blood you lost before you will be of use to anyone. Trust your sister this one time, I believe that matters will resolve themselves very in a positive direction if we do not interfere prematurely."

"Waiting," Kimiko made a noise, "That's one discipline of your training I've never been entirely good at, my Sister."

"I know," Trieste agreed, "And if I were a mother I doubtless would feel the same way. It is a hard thing waiting for others to make the next move, but patience is sometimes rewarded with greater fruit than hasty action, and if what I suspect is true, then we have had achieved a great victory this day in our war against the Sith."

"Well, that certainly sounds like a positive development to me," said Nodoka as she came into the dojo bearing a tray of refreshments and snacks, "But if Kasumi is to regain full health she'll need to eat something so that her body will have what it needs in the way of sustenance. I dare say the same could be said for the both of you as well. You've both been hovering over the poor girl as if you were maintaining a death watch, and even I can tell that Kasumi will recover her strength in very rapid order."

"Thank you, old friend," Kimiko smiled as she accepted some tea and ricecakes, "It's a hard thing to watch your child come back from a battle with injuries, and Kasumi has always been the perfect model of health..."

"I fully understand," Nodoka smiled, "I've had my moments with Ranma and Genma over the years...not many lately, and none for the past ten years. To tell you the truth it is nice to be needed by someone after all this time...but Ranma recovers from his injuries much too fast for me to worry."

"Indeed," Trieste turned a glance over her shoulder, "I, too, have remarked upon the astonishing resilience of your son. Hard to believe that your husband could have achieved so much...even with one with such great potential..."

Ranma was too far out of earshot to hear the shift of conversation turning his way, but he felt his nose itch unexpectedly and scratched it. Sneezing was a rarity for him, so he attached no significance to this anomaly as he turned his focus back towards his present sparring partner, Nabiki.

"Are you sure you're ready this time, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked, "I don't want to hurt you..."

"Yeah, right," Ranma braced himself again, "Just do it to me one more time, Nabiki...I wanna be sure I get this down perfectly."

"Very well," Nabiki said as she summoned the Force within her once again, imagining a large wave rising up along the tides of the seashore, then crashing it down again at the spot where Ranma was standing.

This time he did not even attempt to dodge her attack, and had Nabiki been looking at him directly her own focus would have wavered out of fear of hurting her prospective iinazuke. The previous times when Ranma had attempted to dodge or avoid her Force attack he had wound up being either knocking on his back or into the wall of the compound, which now bore the striation marks of numerous Ranma-shaped impressions. Now, however, Ranma was concentrating on his own Chi power and using it to fortify himself as he brought both arms forward in a block and braced his footing to take the full brunt of the Force wave as it crashed over him with ponderous fury.

This time it was Nabiki who cried out and tumbled backward, staggered at the backlash that had erupted when Force had collided with Force and sent her reeling from the resultant shock that this had created.

Ranma heard the girl cry out and saw her fell backward even as the force opposing him lessened. At once he cried out, "Nabiki!" and rushed to her side, kneeling over her to see if she was all right, not having expected her to be harmed by such a maneuver.

"Are you okay?" he asked as Nabiki opened her eyes and felt alongside her temples.

"I'm...fine...just...wasn't ready for that," she admitted, "What the heck did you do, Ranma?"

"Ah...well..." Ranma was torn between glee that his technique had worked and worry over the girl he possibly injured, "Just something that kinda came to me when I was in that last fight, which is why I wanted your help to test it out. I noticed how those Sith guys were hurling the Force around like it was a weapon, but you insist that it shouldn't be used like that because it might rebound back on you, like just happened..."

"Yeah...tell me about it," Nabiki groaned faintly, smiling up at him, "So you thought you'd see if you could make that happen?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, "I mean...why is it that those Sith guys can use the force so aggressive-like?"

"Because the way of the Dark side is fast and quick," Nabiki replied, "And the harm it does to them is easily ignored so long as they maintain focus."

"Right," Ranma nodded, "But what if you do something they don't expect, something that breaks that focus?"

"Then the power would rebound on them...exactly like what happened to me just now," Nabiki looked up at Ranma with renewed respect, "That's actually brilliant...but...how did you do it?"

"Well, there's basically no difference between this Force of yours and a Ki attack, right?" Ranma said, "And I can raise my Ki levels any time I want by just focusing on my battle aura."

"Very good," Nabiki sat in a more composed state, "No wonder you wanted my help on this...though I am a little disappointed..."

"Disappointed?" Ranma blinked.

"I was hoping, maybe, you were starting to warm up to my charms," Nabiki gave him a very minx-like expression, "And you wanted to get me alone all to yourself so you could show me a different kind of technique that I'd love to help you practice."

"Hah?" Ranma looked blankly, then all at once he colored without fully knowing the reason.

Nabiki found his attitude both delightfully guiless and yet mildly frustrating, knowing it would be a while before she could actually work him up into anything serious. Nevertheless she continued smiling as she said, "The Force is all of Nature that surrounds us...and what you call Ki is the life essence within us all. Learning to tap into the life energy of the rocks, trees, soil, grass and air will make you a stronger person, but it also leaves you open to the subtle currents and changes in your environment. That's why I prefer the Light to the Dark...I feel more alive to walk in the sun and feel the vibrancy of everything, while all a Sith master most probably feels is dark and evil emotions..."

"Like Ryoga," Ranma sighed, "I wish I could figure him out, but that Baka is too thick headed and clueless and...what are you looking at me like that for?"

"Oh, nothing," Nabiki said sweetly, "It's just...odd hearing you call someone else clueless. Never mind...you'll figure it out soon enough...I hope."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, even more confused than ever.

"Never mind," Nabiki leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, startling Ranma completely, "The important thing is that you've got a new weapon you can use the next time you get jumped by a Sith, which ought to greatly level the playing...field..."

"Huh?" Ranma said, seeing the sudden shift in the expression of the girl who had just inexplicably kissed him, "What's wrong?"

"It's...Akane," Nabiki shook herself out of her daze, "It's weird...but for a few seconds there I thought I saw...something..."

"Something?" Ranma asked, "Is she in some kind of trouble?"

"Depends on what you mean by trouble, Ranma-kun," Nabiki responded, "And if you knew Akane like I do, you'd definitely know that she's always in some kind of trouble..."

Akane coughed out water as she started to revive from nearly drowning, aware that CPR had been applied to her as determined by the pressure she had been feeling to her rib cage, but when she opened up her eyes to see who it was who had giving her resuscitation, what she saw was a face that was partially bestial, looking very cat-like for all the human qualities that distinguished her somewhat fuzzy expression.

"Are you okay, Sugar?" the feline-almost Leonine-figure hovering over her asked in a somewhat scratchy voice.

"I'm awake!" Akane stammered, coming to full alert with the stunning clarity of being slightly panicked before she could place the face as belonging to Ukyo's cursed form.

"That is good," she heard Shampoo remark, "Akane give us much concern...you no tell Shampoo that you have trouble with water."

"Hey, it's not like I..." Akane coughed again and spat out more water, "...Like to advertise the fact that I can't swim," she coughed again before resuming, "Ukyo...you helped save me?"

"Ah...well..." Ukyo flinched slightly and glanced away, "It was...sort of an impulse...I don't know why I did it...I mean...Shampoo could have managed it by herself, right?"

"Yes," Shampoo agreed, "But finding Akane under water would not have been so easy."

"Well...just the same, thank you," Akane smiled brightly, "You see? You're not such a bad person after all. You even got wet for me, and I really appreciate that."

"Ah..." Ukyo glanced away, and while it was difficult to say with fur covering her skin, one had the distinct impression that she was coloring slightly, "Well...it...was kind of unplanned...I mean...when Taro attacked you like that, I...I don't know what I was doing. I don't anything anymore...it's all so confusing..."

"It sounds to this one as if you are having second thoughts as to what cause you serve," Shampoo remarked, "You joined your Master to find and punish Ranma and his father, but without this objective, what have you?"

"I...I really don't know, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "I don't feel the same way anymore...something's changed...I thought maybe I was losing my powers, but they're just as strong as they ever were, even if they weren't enough to defeat your sister, Kasumi."

"Hey, don't feel bad about that," Akane said, "Nobody but Sensei Trieste could take on Kasumi. That Mousse guy must have tried something underhanded to hurt her as bad as he did, and I'd bet anything if she were fighting at full strength she would have had him over easy."

"Is good call," Shampoo observed, "Back in China Mousse once challenge Kasumi and was easily beaten, even when use his special attack, White Crane Fist. At time Mousse profess he want prove Kasumi defeat him using Outsider tricks, but this one thinks he also have big desire for her...maybe even want share Shampoo with Kasumi."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "What do you mean by share you?"

"In Amazon society strong warriors can have more than one partner," Shampoo explained, "Two or more warriors can share same man, up to four in family group, though more allowed under special arrangements. One warrior no can have two men for husband, is only women who share men..."

"Wait...slow down there," Akane pleaded, "Explain that again about having more than one girl share the same guy?"

"Sounds pretty perverted to me," Ukyo groused, "And just about what I'd expect of that Jackass. Mousse was always talking about you, and when he got around to describing Kasumi he made her sound like some sort of goddess. Weird thing, though...last time they met he was trying pretty hard to kill her..."

"Is strange," Shampoo remarked, "Mousse have violet temper, often beat up men who try and talk to this one, but never kill them. This one can no recall a time when he hated someone enough to do that, except maybe when he fight with this one's little brother..."

"Little brother?" Ukyo blinked.

"She means Ranma," Akane explained, "Shampoo adopted him into her family when they met back in her village."

"Adopted him?" Ukyo blinked again, then her eyes narrowed, "You mean you call him your little brother, and you don't mean anything more than that?"

"This one would lie if she did not admit that she finds Ranma a very attractive young man," Shampoo replied, "But Shampoo is not seeking a husband just now. She is quite content with...other arrangements."

"Yeah?" Ukyo remained skeptical on that point, "In other words you'd rather screw her than him?" she indicated Akane.

"Oh yes," Shampoo agreed with a bright smile, "Akane is...a very interesting Outsider girl, even for the sister to my Oath sister, more so even than Ranma. When this one met her little brother she thought of her as a little sister until she learned the truth of his visit to Jusenkyo..."

"Hey, enough about him already," Akane turned and gave Ukyo a broader smile, "You saved my life, Ukyo...and no matter what reason you had for doing it, I'm very grateful. I know this means you can't go back to Darth Purge because he'd probably punish you for doing that, but it proves what I've believed about you all along..."

"Yeah?" Ukyo's feline features shifted to a more wary caution, "And just what is that...Sugar?"

"That deep down you are a very nice person," Akane replied.

"Nice?" Ukyo recoiled from that, "Do you have any idea what I've done during my training with my Master?"

"I'm sure you'll tell me all about it when you feel like it," Akane replied, "But it really doesn't matter since you're not the same person you were when I first met you."

"Wait," Ukyo blinked, "That doesn't make sense. How do you know what kind of a person I am...?"

"I can feel you, Silly," Akane chuckled, "You dark side types like to hide your feelings, but when I'm this close to you I can tell that you're not really evil, or you'd never have helped me out here."

"By the way, Akane," Shampoo said as she handed something over to the Tendo girl, "This one recovered your belt during the excitement. It would be better for you to tie it until we find a place to change into dry clothing."

"Ah...yeah...good point that," Ukyo said as she looked down at herself in disgust, "You got it easy with that silk pantsuit of yours...it should dry quick, but us..."

"Oh, don't worry too much about that," Akane assured them, "I know just where we can go to warm up and get changed, if you guys will follow my lead...what?"

"I'm just wondering," Ukyo frowned even more, "Why are you guys being nice to me? Doesn't even a little bit upset you what I look like in my cursed form?"

"Upset me?" Akane blinked, "Um...well...I was kind of...freaked for a few seconds there, but now that I've got a better look at you, I think you're kind of cute that way."

"Cute?" Ukyo reacted as if she had been slapped.

"This one agrees," Shampoo instantly chimed, "For one who bears the curse of Jusenkyo, being a Cat-girl is no so bad as maybe winding up as something not human."

"Yeah," Akane nodded, "Like that Ryoga-guy...talk about freaky!"

"Ah...yeah, I suppose I could sort of see it like that," Ukyo reluctantly conceded, "Pig-boy does look like something out of Beauty and the Beast when he's like that, but compared to Taro he's a real sweetheart."

"Speaking of which," Akane turned to glance back at what remained of the bridge, seen a half a block in the distance, "What happened to horn-head...and that guy he was fighting?"

"You mean perverted little man who take liberties with us?" Shampoo replied, "They fight move elsewhere, forget we even land in water."

"Heh, that figures," Ukyo said bitterly, flattening her cat-like ears in evidence of her displeasure, "Taro's got a one-track mind when it comes to hunting his quarry...and what's the story with the old man? He seemed to know you, Akane."

"Honestly, I don't know anything about him," Akane replied, "But he seems to know my father...even claims he was his teacher, if you can believe that."

"Akane have pervert for Elder of clan?" Shampoo marveled.

"Heh...not much of a stretch," Ukyo muttered under her breath, "So...you really don't know that Happosai guy?"

"Honestly," Akane assured them, "You think I'd hang around with somebody who fondles up women without asking?"

Ukyo and Shampoo exchanged looks but refrained from commenting on that subject.

"You guys," Akane frowned, "C'mon...let's go find Doctor Tofu's clinic and then we can sort it all out..."

"Tofu-Sensei?" Shampoo suddenly straightened out, "N-Nice man who treat little Brother Ranma?"

"Huh?" Ukyo was surprised at the sudden shift in the mood and emotions of the purple haired girl beside her, "You telling me some guy you just met...?"

"Why don't you wait until you meet him," Akane urged, "Everybody likes Doctor Tofu, and you'll see why as soon as you meet him."

Ukyo was dubious about that point and wondered how she had wound up in the company of a couple of perverts like this Chinese girl and a weird person like Akane. Things really had taken a turn for the strange in her life, but whatever happened next Ukyo was determined to stay alive and to find her center again...even if her new companions were even stranger than the ones she had trained with under her Master, who doubtlessly would be very disappointed to find his chief apprentice grown soft in the time since she had lost her fight with Kasumi and Ranma...

Darth Purge was greatly concerned with the recent developments that had been taking place in the lives of his various charges. Most disturbing was the change he sensed in Ukyo, who-until now-had been his finest pupil and most trusted right-hand agent. He had been proud of the girl and what she had accomplished in the few short years of her apprenticeship, and had it not been for that one element of doubt that had kept her from giving herself completely to the Dark side she would have been the perfect Sith Padawan. Certainly more talented than the clueless likes of Mousse and Ryoga, though Taro himself might well have given her competition with a bit more training on both of their parts.

So why was it that his nearly perfect weapon was now failing him badly when he was most in need of her services? And for what? A punk boy who had abandoned and betrayed her, and who now had other women in his life besides Kuonji?

Purge would be the first to admit that he did not truly understand the human psyche, let alone the strange mating urges that seemed to govern their every waking hour of their existence. Reptiles had more sensible instincts when it came to procreation...they only did it in the right time and season, and then largely in a perfunctory way that consisted of fertilizing the female so that she could drop her eggs sometime later. The didn't complicate things the way human did with ritual, custom and tradition...if a male wanted a female he made his petition known, then he either forced the female to submit or was fought off by a more aggressive male. By no means did they allow the female to dictate terms and policy or gain any illusion of who was in charge in a sexual encounter, and when the business was finally over with the males only hung around to protect the female, and then only if it was his choice to defend his own young. Not for them was there any maudlin sentimentality disguising their lust in the form of any romantic claptrap.

So why was it so important to these ape-like females that they should have to fight it out over a boy when it was perfectly well within the capacity of a healthy adult male to fertilize all of them in their given time and season? This Ranma ought to be able to service the needs of all the females who professed to find him an adequate breeding companion. Why needlessly complicate matters by seeking a more permanent-and exclusive-alliance with him, such as the dual engagements that the boy owed to the houses of Tendo and Kuonji?

Having agreed to let a son sire a child on a capable female was the sort of contract obligation that Purge could only find baffling even after years of contemplation on that subject. Having desires for revenge based on the reneging of such a promise...that was something different. Purge well understood what betrayal felt like and how the desire for revenge could consume one's every waking hour. It had been such desires which drove him to the Dark side in the first place, when he'd taken up his apprenticeship under his Master and gave himself completely over to the ways of the Sith. In a way he had felt an odd kinship with Ukyo for her having been in a similar situation, and he had been much impressed with the degree to which this desire for retribution had contributed to the intensity of her training.

Only why was she preparing to throw it all away now when she was so close to fulfilling her objectives? All right...say she had decided that Ranma was not truly the one to betray her. Purge had long suspected that it was the older Sire, Genma, who was blame for the breaking of the contract that he himself had entered into with the late senior Kuonji. The meant that she was now considering Ranma as a capable breeding partner, one who could produce healthy and strong offspring, so perhaps she was unconsciously seeking to obtain his consent in the matter. The girl was certainly clever enough that she might disguise her real intentions in order to get her prey to drop his guard so that they could mate successfully, and only after this show her true colors like a Black Widow spider.

But...try and he might...Purge could not convince himself that this was the case in the matter. Ukyo's desire to change seemed manifestly genuine, which meant that there were other issues driving her away from her Sith training and over to the Jedi.

And if that was the case...then she would become a potential enemy, one that Purge would reluctantly be forced to eliminate before she grew powerful enough to present a legitimate challenge.

Purge had long ago reconciled himself to the knowledge that he was alone upon this weird planet full of ape-descended creatures. There was no female of his species with whom he could mate, nor was he genetically compatible for breeding with a human, and thus he did not expect to have any progeny of his own during his time upon this backwards planet. Only if he could somehow conquer the world and then by some means contact the Empire would he have any prospects of going back to where he belonged, and even then his services would no doubt be called upon to keep him busy doing the Emperor's dirty work, so the time to find a mate would no doubt slip him by without even being noticed or regretted.

But Ukyo was special to him for reasons that he could not himself have described. She had fire and spirit unlike the other female of Purge's acquaintance, and while he would have denied any emotional attachments to the young Terran female, still he would be loath to deny that there was a certain...something about her to which he found himself increasingly drawn. After all, he had a lot of training invested in the girl, and he was not about to throw it all away while he could still make use of her abilities, which was infinitely preferable to having to rely upon a greedy, ambitious scum like Pantyhose Taro.

Now there was an apprentice to make any Sith lord shudder. The boy had great potential all right, and great capacity for cruelty, treachery and self-serving underhandedness. The boy could well learn to be a master of the Dark side, in which case Purge would have to watch his backside very carefully to make sure that nothing wound up planted there by mischance. With Ukyo there was little threat of her turning against her Master, but with Taro? Nothing was for certain...unless of course you understood the peculiar obsessions that were guiding his life, not least of which was his odd disdain for the birth-name which he had been given. Why choose to wear such a ridiculous moniker if he hated the name and what it did to his self-image? Why not elect to call himself by a different name, one not related to a woman's undergarment. There was no fathoming the boy's twisted sense of priorities, and that made him all the more unpredictable and dangerous. In fact, Purge was even considering ridding himself of the annoying cur, once he had outlived his usefulness, if only he could find a sufficiently painful method that would be altogether effective...

The line of Purge's reasoning came to a rude, abrupt halt as he sensed the approach of his nominal understudy, but there was something off about Taro's aura that seemed most puzzling to Purge. In fact, if he did not know any better...

All at once Taro stumbled into camp in beast form and literally went crashing down at the edge of the campfire. To Purge's amazement the bull-headed cursed form of the Monstrous Taro was out like the proverbial light bulb, as though he had suffered some sort of major trauma the like of which even Purge might find particularly daunting. But who could have done this to the inhumanly powerful creature? None of the Jedi possessed such prowess, which meant that it had to be someone or something else, but what...?

"He'll be all right, once he takes a nap," said a little man who hopped off of Taro's back onto a nearby rock, "The boy just got a little too rambunctious back there, and he thought he was a lot tougher than he is. Still needs a bit more seasoning before he can give me a decent workout."

Purge stared at the incredibly ancient looking withered old human and said, "Who...?"

"The name's Happosai," the old man replied, "And you must be the guy who showed Pantsaru those special moves and Ki-techniques that he was using during our little roughhousing session. I also understand that you've been making trouble for the Tendos, which is why I'm here, to get to the bottom of whatever it is you're up to, tall, dark and scaly."

"Happosai," Purge's expression remained just this shy of being neutral, "I have heard the name before...you are the one who gave...Pantsaru...his peculiar name, yes?"

"The one and the same," Happosai answered, "So, what do they call you, and what makes you so special, other than that nasty skin rash you've got there?"

"I am called Darth Purge," Purge responded as he stood up to his full height, "I am a Sith Lord, and a Master..."

"Master, huh?" Happosai sniffed, "Well, why don't we see about that? I could use some exercise, and you look like you won't be that much of a pushover."

"I assure you, I am not," Purge replied as he drew his lightsaber and activated the dark energy beam that was projected by his chosen weapon.

"A weapon, huh?" Happosai sniffed, "Don't have much use for those myself. Relying on a weapon just slows you down and makes you careless...WHOOPS!" he yelped as he vaulted from the rock just seconds before the lightsaber slashed down and reduced it to a pile of mismatched gravel.

"Shall we test that theory?" Purge remarked as he held his lightsaber at the ready.

Happosai eyed the smoking fragments of the boulder then narrowed his eyes and said, "Suit yourself, but I'm warning you, you're making a mistake."

"Then it will be the last one as far as you are concerned," Purge assured him as he prepared to renew his attack.

"We'll just see about that, won't we?" Happosai mused softly, and then the fight was on, Sith Lord versus perverted Martial Arts master with the fates of their respective charges looming in the distance...

"Does something disturb you, Saotome?" Soun asked as he looked up from their usual game of Shogi.

"I don't know, Tendo," Genma replied, "It was just a feeling I had...like someone walking over our graves..."

"Oh yes, I do know that feeling well," Soun noted as he carefully rearranged several piece, "I've been having that feeling for the past few days now...as if not all were right within the district of Nerima..."

"It isn't the troubles we've had with those Sith that worries me," Genma said as he turned back and immediately noticed that something was wrong with the set up on the Shogi board.

"Oh no?" Soun asked as much to distract his old friend as to voice legitimate concerns, "Such as?"

"It's just a feeling I've had all day long," Genma frowned as he considered how to turn the game back to his advantage, "Like someone whom we both know has come back from the dead to trouble us now in our time of OOOFFF?!"

"Don't say that, Man!" Soun declared as he clapped both hands over the mouth of his dearest friend, "Just mentioning his name might be enough to arouse his wrath! In the name of all sanity, don't say it!"

"Whatever are you two talking about?" asked Kimiko as she happened by just then.

"Oh, nothing, Dear," Soun affected an innocent expression, "Saotome was just making a very poor attempt at a joke and..."

All at once there was a crashing noise from inside the dojo, startling everyone until they heard Nodoka say, "Now that is odd...why did that shelf just fall down all of a sudden?"

"Shelf?" Genma asked as Soun automatically took his hands away, "You don't think...?"

"It was probably just the wind," Soun remarked rather nervously, "No need to think of it as an omen or..."

"What are you two going on about now?" Kimiko asked with growing irritation, "Honestly, you two act sometimes like little boys hiding a grave secret. What has you two spooked so much this time?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing, Dearest," Soun attempted to reassure her, "Just an old memory better left dead and buried."

"At least we hope it is," Genma added, only to yelp as Soun grabbed him by the ear and yanked firmly.

"Is there a problem here?" Trieste asked as she appeared from the dojo, having sensed the peculiar disturbance being kicked up by the emotions of the two men, which necessarily coincided with her own uneasy feelings.

"That's what I would like to know," Kimiko frowned, "What are you hiding, Husband?"

"Hiding?" Soun affected as much of an innocent expression as he had within him at the moment.

"Not a bad idea, I think I'll do just that," Genma started to stand up, only to be yanked down rudely by Soun for his troubles.

"You are not going anywhere without me, Saotome," Soun growled in a low-voiced menace.

"Now I am intrigued," Trieste remarked, "Just who is it that you're afraid is going to show up here...and don't say the Sith because I can tell that your minds are not being aimed towards that particular group of rowdies."

"You're...better off not knowing," Genma bowed his head, "If what we fear is right, then the Sith will be the least of our worries."

Kimiko blinked then glanced at Trieste, "Are they making any more sense to you than to me, Sister?"

"I was going to ask you that first," Trieste replied, "I seem to sense that a figure from your past is shadowing your present...some you thought to leave dead and buried, from the time just before I came to live with you, Soun-chan. Who is it, who has inspired such total and abject fear in you? Who do you fear so much that you dread even saying his name aloud?"

The two men exchanged looks but remained silent...right up until the point when Nodoka answered for them by saying, "Master Happosai, it has to be him."

"Master Happosai?" Kimiko looked startled, "You're not serious...!"

"Who is Master Happosai?" Trieste inquired, seeing the two men cower in dread of the name and wondering just what might have inspired this.

"The Sensei who taught my husband and Tendo-san the Anything Goes Ryu, of course," Nodoka replied pleasantly, "He's a dear sweet man who hasn't been around in over a decade, and-as you say-he vanished just before you arrived and my husband took his ten year training mission."

"He's also a disgusting, annoying little pervert," Kimiko growled less happily, "The kind of dirty old man who puts other Echi to shame. You're fortunate never to have encountered him, my Sister...he's the sort who can't keep his hands off female anatomy and who dearly loves to steal our undergarments..."

"That does sound...very odd," Trieste admitted, "But why are your husbands so terrified about meeting him again?"

"Because we buried him in a cave beneath a stone and-MMMPH!" Genma had started to say when Soun once again clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Excuse me?" Trieste arched an eyebrow.

"Husband?" Kimiko arched an ominous eyebrow.

"We gave our Master a sending off party years ago to...um...wish him the best of health and a long life," Soun explained, "And since the Master tends to overindulge on such occasions we were obligated to carry him off to seek shelter in a cave..."

"After which we sealed it up after leveling the mouth with explosives," Genma added in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Saotome!" Soun looked shocked.

"They're not buying it, Tendo, look," Genma nodded to the skeptical expressions on the faces of at least two of the ladies present, the third being Nodoka, whom-it should be noted-was presently carrying her family katana, "We might as well tell them everything...they're going to find out one way or the other."

"Um..." Soun also noticed the way his own wife was folding her arms and looking at him crossly, "I see your point..."

"I am not sure if I am understanding this right," Trieste remarked, "You sealed him up in a cave with explosives?"

"So what is he now, a ghost?" Kimiko asked.

"We should all be so lucky," Genma declared with a fatalistic expression, "The truth is...we're not sure if even that could finish off the Master..."

"He's not human, you see," Soun explained, "And if he survived being trapped within that cave, then he will definitely be angry."

"I should think so," Nodoka remarked, "If someone had trapped me in a cave for that long a time I know that I would be a little cross about it."

"But how could anyone survive for ten years inside of a cave?" Trieste asked in growing confusion.

"Trust us, Sister," Kimiko replied, "If anyone could pull it off, it's him, and if Master Happosai really is alive...then he could be more trouble for us than a house full of Sith Lords."

To which Trieste could only blink her eyes, then voice one of her Padawan's favorite expressions, "Oh my..."

Kasumi, who was laying in the dojo in a healing trance and thus unable to speak aloud her thoughts on the matter, had a brief image flash through her head of a dark and sinister figure whose gnome-like shape belied the sense of menace that he radiated, and without knowing quite why she shuddered slightly, knowing that this image would have large implications for the future of both the Jedi and House Tendo. Instinctively she sought out with her mind to feel the presence of her sisters and found that neither Nabiki nor Akane was all that near to hand, and in wondering why this is she had a brief impression of Ranma and Nabiki running along rooftops somewhere while Akane and two others were in Doctor Tofu's office. She tried to focus on who the light and dark forms were presently flanking her youngest sister and got the impression that the former was Shampoo while the latter...

Was Ukyo Kuonji.

The vision left her even more confused than ever, but Kasumi knew that things were happening all around her and that she needed to heal back her strength in order to meet these new challenges, knowing that to fail would be to court disaster. Whoever this strange character was that her parents were discussing in such low whispers, Kasumi knew that trouble was definitely in the offing, and even one well versed in the ways of the Force might not be equipped to handle the sorts of challenges that were in the offing, but that she would stand firm by her teachings no matter what would happen.

She was not completely there just yet, but soon...very soon...she would arise once again to do battle with the Sith, and if this Happosai person should pose a different kind of threat, then it would be one more hurdle to surmount in her quest to become a Jedi Knight, and for that purpose-as well as others-Kasumi would stand ready.

Now if only she could comprehend why, in making this resolve, that her vision suddenly filled with the image of a floating cloud composed entirely of women's bras and panties...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Cloud Mining: shadowmane

Darth Purge versus Happosai while Ranma and Nabiki play witness to the ensuing mischief. Akane introduces Ukyo to their friendly family doctor, but is it Shampoo who needs to have her pulse checked? And how do the men of the house explain themselves to their disapproving ladies, let alone make it up to them for bringing a scourge like Happosai into their house? All this and a certain village Elder puts in a long-awaited visit in, "Silk Storm Surprise," or, "Happalong Happosai!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: angcobra1. All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	16. Chapter 16

Jedi Kasumi16

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Sixteen.

A New Soap.

(LIME WARNING: HENTAI MATERIAL AHEAD!  
CONTAINS SITUATIONS OF AN ADULT NATURE,  
NOT FOR THE IMMATURE OR THE SQUEEMISH)

The Story So Far:

Ukyo Kuonji, Sith Padawan to Darth Purge, has recently begun to question her own motives for pursuing her suit against her wayward iinazuke, has been contacted by the Jedi Force Masters named Shampoo and Akane, who are attempting to persuade her to join them in their dual cause of converting her to the Light Side while also convincing her to explore a more "alternative lifestyle..."

Darth Purge, resident Sith Lord upon the Earth,  
has been himself contacted by Master Happosai, founder of the Anything Goes Ryu and reputedly the most Perversely "Evil"  
Martial Artist in all of Japan, and the two are now engaged in a major battle to determine which of them is the darkest of dark Masters...

Unknown to any of the above, Apprentice Jedi Ranma Saotome, in the company of the Force Master Nabiki Tendo, are on their way to investigate these strange happenings with concern over what impact they might have for the future of the Anything Goes Ryu...

Meanwhile the Jedi Padawan named Kasumi Tendo is busy healing herself from the injuries that she took in her battles with the Sith, but is growing increasingly concerned with the course of these developments and soon hopes to rise up to assert her place once again within this saga, aided by her Mentor, the Jedi Knight known as Trieste, and the rest of the Tendo Household, who are only now becoming aware that Happosai is once again let loose upon an innocent, unsuspecting district...

And we now resume with our usual adventure...

"So this is the guy you like?" a now-human Ukyo murmured as she eyed the bespeckled ponytailed man in the olive colored martial arts gi who had supplied her with hot water, "Doctor Tofu Ono?"

"That's him," Akane nodded as they watched the doctor come back into the room bearing a number of requisite items, "The one and only."

"Here you go," Tofu said pleasantly as he handed each of the girls a set of towels and a blanket, "Feel free to change in my office, I'll see that you're not disturbed by anyone, and just let me know when you girls are decent."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured faintly, accepting her share of terrycloth articles while blushing furiously and refusing to look up at the kindly doctor.

"That you, Tofu-Sensei," Akane smiled radiantly, her eyes seeming to sparkle as she briefly met his concerned expression, "It's no nice of you to help us, I'm really sorry that we have to be a burden..."

"Not at all," Tofu replied, "But you really should be more careful when you cross a bridge like that, Akane-chan. Falling in and almost drowning is the sort of thing that might needlessly worry your parents. I'm just glad that your two friends were concerned enough to dive in to your rescue."

"I know, I'm clumsy," Akane responded with a sigh, "But please don't tell my mother and father, I wouldn't want to upset them needlessly."

"Well, just try and see that it doesn't happen again," Tofu said pleasantly before turning around and exiting his own office, "I'm making some hot tea for you three...anyone for Ginseng?"

"Yes, please," Shampoo responded, then sighed when the man gave her a friendly nod before turning away completely.

Ukyo blinked as she witnessed this, turning a puzzled look from one of her companions to the other, "You guys both hung up on him or something?"

"Sure, aren't you?" Akane asked, her expression between wistful and melancholy.

"Not hardly," Ukyo sniffed before frowning, "What do you see in him anyway?"

"He very nice," Shampoo answered without taking her eyes away from the doorway, "Is very kind hearted man...this one can feel the good of his Healer's aura, and he very handsome..."

"I'm admit he's kind of good-looking, in a Bishonen sort of way," Ukyo conceded, "But I wouldn't hang his face on my wall like a poster or anything like that."

Akane sighed, "What would you hang on your wall and consider sexy, Ukyo? If you don't like women, then what does please you?"

"I...wouldn't know," Ukyo's frown deepened as she further looked away, "I've never been pleased by anybody...not since...well...you know..."

"Since little brother Ranma," Shampoo interpreted, "You still have thing for this one's adopted brother...but you know he has other claimants..."

"Don't remind me," Ukyo glowered, "Truth to tell...I'm not really looking for anything in a guy...or even a girl...right now...hell! I'm still trying to figure out just when my life got so complicated. No offense to either of you, but...I really need more time to sort things out..."

"We understand, Ukyo," Akane exchanged a minx-like look with Shampoo, then deliberately set about untying her obi and removing her heavy cotton gi-top.

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "What are you guys...?"

"Is what nice Healer tell us to do," Shampoo answered, having already peeled away her own Chinese pantsuit and dropping it about her ankles so that she could stand gloriously naked to their open-eyed inspection, "Clothing need wash and dry or color be ruined."

"Yeah, and what are you so worried about?" Akane asked as she pulled down her trousers and set to work peeling down her panties, "We're all girls here, right? So what's wrong with us being naked?"

"It's not the same...not with you two!" Ukyo sputtered, then blinked as she got a full look at the Amazon's physique, to which she faintly murmured, "Those things...they're not really real, are they?"

"Hmm?" Shampoo blinked, "What you mean by not real? This one does not understand..."

"She means your boobs, Sham-chan," Akane chuckled, "And yeah, believe it or not, Ukyo, they're really real. I did a full inspection and I can't find a surgical scar or anything on those babies."

Ukyo just stammered out, "And you're supposed to be our age?"

"Is more or less," Shampoo replied, inclining her head with a puzzled look, "Why you ask such strange questions?"

"She thinks your breasts are big for your age, Honey," Akane revealed, "But personally, I like them just fine the way they are," she made a point of deliberately reaching out to cup the Amazon's large mammories in both hands and gave them a good fondle, "Oh yeah, definitely firm and very sensitive to the touch, wouldn't you say?"

Shampoo did not pull away from being openly groped like this but instead closed her eyes and rolled her head back slightly with a soft moan of, "Hiyaa...is very nice indeed...Akane have good hands technique..."

"Comes from lots of practice," Akane grinned all the more lasciviously, then she surprised the already stunned Ukyo by saying, "Here, you try them yourself and see what you think."

"What?" Ukyo blinked as Akane took her by the wrist of her nearest hand and steered it over to the Amazon, "HEY!"

"Just relax, will you?" Akane chuckled as she stepped out of the space between the Amazon and the Chef, then guided Ukyo's other hand to cup Shampoo by her other breast before the cook could raise any substantial objections, "See what I mean? They feel real, right?"

"But I..." Ukyo belatedly realized that her hands were moving to fondle the purple haired girl, and that Shampoo was not only NOT pulling away but even gripped Ukyo's wrists to steady those hands and further encourage her to continue with what she was doing.

"Feels nice, doesn't it?" Akane cooed in Ukyo's ear, "Yeah, I sure felt the same way when I first got to fondle Sham-chan here. She's very firm and supple, and while they may seem bit they're also incredibly sensitive to the touch, right Honey?"

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo sighed in obvious pleasure, giving Ukyo a half-lidded stare that would have done a hungry predator due credit.

All at once they heard Doctor Tofu call out, "Are you girls all right in there?"

Ukyo immediately snatched her hands away, breaking the Amazon's gentle grip while blushing furiously over what she had just been doing. Akane salvaged the scene by calling out, "We're just fine, Tofu-Sensei...Ukyo just needs a bit of encouragement that it's all right to take her own clothes off. She's a bit shy about such things you know..."

"I am not!" Ukyo insisted, though whether she meant that about her clothes or what was implied by her most recent behavior even she could not entirely say.

"Then what you still doing standing around in wet things?" Shampoo leered as she reached out and undid the sash around Ukyo's waist.

"Hey!" Ukyo started to protest when Akane moved to part her uniform while undoing the buttons by telekinesis, "What are you...?"

"Relax and trust us," Shampoo said calmly to the chef as she yanked down on Ukyo's trousers, pulling them down about the other girl's ankles with methodical efficiency that was as smooth as it was unexpected, "You no want to wind up catching a chill in you wet clothing..."

"And besides," Akane leered as she finished yanking Ukyo's shirt off of her wrists, having already set the bandoleer of mini throwing spatulas (plus one overly large iron baker's peel) to one side, "It's not like you're going anywhere at the moment, and you smell like you fell into a river or something. Just let it go for now, Ukyo, and trust us..."

"Trust you?" Ukyo instinctively reached up and covered her own breasts, shivering for reasons that had nothing to do with the temperature of her body, "Why should I?"

"Because you know we mean you no harm," Shampoo replied, straightening up as she looked the now-naked chef up and down, having even peeled away the other girl's boxers to reveal a velvety brown bush that had been concealed there, "Oh yes...is very nice. You very handsome girl, is shame you no show off body..."

"I agree completely," Akane all but drooled, giving Ukyo a thorough look-over that made her feel almost like something on display in a restaurant window, "It's an absolute crime for you to hide away such a nice hard body."

"Hard body?" Ukyo could not help noticing that Akane's body was not as well developed as Shampoo's, nor as curvaceous, but there was something...oddly kawaii about her just the same.

"Is hard like muscle," Shampoo mused as she handed a towel to Ukyo (much to the latter's displeasure, it turned out to be much smaller than would seem proper, barely able to conceal anything that was important), "You very, very strong looking girl, great warrior with great body, you sure you no have Amazon for ancestor?"

"Positive," Ukyo backed away, determined to keep at least something obscuring the vision of the two hungry girls who had just methodically stripped her naked, "Now look...you've had your fun, but..."

"What are you so uptight about anyway?" Akane teased, "What do you think Shampoo and me are gonna do to you? Jump you in the middle of Tofu's office?"

"The thought did cross my mind," Ukyo glared resentfully, only to yelp as she felt invisible hands pinch her on the bottom, "YEOW! Quit that!"

"Is something the matter here?" Tofu asked as he paused at his own doorway, "Is it safe to come in there now?"

Akane and Shampoo hastily tied towels around their own bodies (Ukyo could not help noticing that they used larger towels than the one Shampoo had handed her), then the former smiled sweetly and said, "Come on in, Tofu-Sensei, we're decent."

"But no too decent," Shampoo added with a wry hint of mischief as she waited to catch sight of the doctor when he entered his own examination room. Ukyo noted idly that the purple haired girl made a point of tying her towel low so as to suggest her cleavage formed by the large bulge of her breasts being closely pressed together. She also had one leg poised significantly ahead of the other so as to provide a most eye-catching display, and all at once the chef was caught between a sense of serious envy and arousal, though the latter response was probably just some perverse reflex brought about by the whole perverted situation.

"Now then," Tofu smiled as he came into the room, only to pause as he saw the look Shampoo was giving him and momentarily reacted with proof positive that he had male hormones, "Oh my..."

"Thank you, Sensei," Akane said as she came up to take the tray away from the doctor, smiling pleasantly up at him despite the fact that he barely turned a glance in her direction.

"Ah...Akane?" he blinked, "Er...where was I? Oh yes...Kasumi. I was just over at your house when I heard that she had been injured..."

Both Akane and Shampoo heaved matching sighs at that, which amused Ukyo for some vaguely obscure reason, then the former said, "Yeah...she got hurt in a fight, but she'll be better in a few hours. Some guys ambushed her not too far away from here..."

"Ambushed her?" Tofu was suddenly quite alarmed, "Kasumi?"

"Big sister Kasumi..." Shampoo hesitated before forcing herself to go on, "...Was attacked by Mousse, a boy from this one's village. But Ukyo save big sister and Ranma from bad men who want to hurt them..."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "But..."

"That's right, she's a hero," Akane beamed happily with a wink towards the somewhat flustered Kuonji, "Didn't even know she had it in her, but Ukyo here is just full of surprises."

"Now wait a minute..." Ukyo started to protest, only to find Tofu was now focused on her direction.

"You helped rescue Kasumi?" he asked, staring at Ukyo in a way that was most...disconcerting, "Then I thank you for that, even if you do seem a bit odd for one of Akane's friends. Well, never mind about that, at least everyone is all right, and don't worry about your clothing, I'll have it washed and ready for you within a couple of hours."

"A couple of hours?" Ukyo heard the alarm bells going off inside her head.

"Shampoo will help," the Amazon said brightly, "This one knows many ways to speed up process of cleaning garments in hurry. Take no more than, say, half hour at most."

"Hey, take your time, guys," Akane cheerfully remarked as she cozzied up next to the disconcerted Kuonji, "We're in no big hurry to go anywhere, right?"

"Hah?" Ukyo said in growing alarm, "Now...wait a minute..."

"We'll just wait here while you two get better acquainted," Akane called out to Shampoo as she and Tofu scooped up their clothing then carried them into the next room for proper treatment, "I'm sure we'll find something to do to make the time pass quicker."

"We'll try not to keep you waiting too long," Tofu innocently responded, not even seeming to catch the wry gleam in the eyes of the youngest Tendo sister, or the slightly panicked expression that crossed Ukyo's own expression.

"Ah..." Ukyo started to back away from the dark haired girl, only to find the examination table blocking her way, "When you say...passing the time..."

"Relax, silly," Akane chuckled softly, which in no way put Ukyo anymore at ease, "I won't bite...unless you like it that way."

"Er...maybe I'd better wait in the other room..." Ukyo tried to make a bee-line for the door, but Akane easily blocked her escape route and the clinic door itself slid closed on invisible hinges.

"What are you afraid of?" Akane asked of the other girl, "Don't you like me?"

"I think you're a little too much for me to handle right now..." Ukyo belatedly realized that she was being backed into a corner, but the alternative was to get decidedly violent.

"Maybe I am more than a handful," Akane let her towel slip to the floor and then cupped her own breasts with both hands and squeezed them for emphasis, "Certainly not as much as Shampoo, but I don't think size is what really matters, do you?"

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo asked in a voice that was off from her usual tone by about an octave, "And what does matter to you anyway?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Akane replied with a particularly kawaii expression, moving in for the kill before Ukyo could even think to raise her defenses...

Ranma sensed that his companion had ceased moving forward and turned about to find out what was the matter. To his surprise he saw the somewhat distracted expression on her lovely face, and as he was now more sensitive to her moods than ever, he automatically asked her, "What's wrong? Something bugging you, Nabiki?"

"It's Akane...I just had the strangest feeling from her..." Nabiki responded, "It wasn't a bad feeling, but still..."

"She's all right then, huh?" Ranma relaxed a little, "Thought maybe you said she was in some kind of trouble."

"It was a feeling I had when we left the house, Ranma-kun," Nabiki relaxed a bit herself, "But I guess matters have stabilized in the past few minutes. In fact, I get a sense that Akane would really rather not be bothered at the moment, and she'd probably resent it if we interrupted her in what she's presently doing."

"Heh, no problem for me," Ranma sniffed, "If the Tomboy ain't in any trouble, then I don't see any reason for butting in on her business. I..." all at once he flinched, "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?"

Nabiki had felt it too, only far more acute than even her prospective iinazuke, "I don't know...but it was strong! And it was coming from over in that direction."

Ranma scanned the horizon, seeing a forested mountain off to one side that was giving off the most peculiar vibrations...no wait! Was that a spike he felt? And why did it seem as though something explosive was about to happen...?

As if on cue a puff of smoke did appear, along with another spike in the Chi lines that definitely confirmed that a major battle was taking place off beyond the edge of Nerima proper.

"What in the name of the Force could be causing that?" Nabiki asked with growing concern evident in her voice.

"I dunno," Ranma said, "But I'm gonna check it out."

"Then I'm coming with you," Nabiki informed him, then added in undertone, "Since Akane seems to have things well in hand, this looks to be more interesting, not to mention that a disturbance in the Force like that could possibly be a threat to my family."

"Okay," Ranma replied, "But just be careful and stay close to me. We don't know what's causing that, but it's huge, and that means it could be trouble."

"And if there's trouble, I'm sure that I can rely on a big, strong man like you to look after my assets, eh, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki teased sweetly.

"Ah...whatever," Ranma said somewhat more nervously, then together they started to vault the distance between rooftops, hoping to make better time than they would at normal street level...

"Nabiki!" Kasumi sat up so abruptly that she startled everyone nearby, and without waiting to explain herself she rose to her feet and declared, "She's in danger, I must go to her at once."

"What's wrong?" her mother asked, "I thought it was Akane who was in trouble..."

"No offense intended, Sister," Trieste remarked, "But the sort of trouble that Akane's currently in is not something she would want to discuss with either of us. Nabiki, however, is a different subject, and I feel great menace looming over her head, even with the company of Ranma to assist her."

"Then what are we waiting around here for?" Soun asked as he joined in the discussion, "If our daughter is being threatened in any way..."

"With respects, Father," Kasumi said as she finished dressing herself and donned her web belt that contained her light saber, "I do not wish to be encumbered by having a large group accompany me, I will make better time on my own, unless you wish to join me, Sensei..."

"Try keeping me away," Trieste replied, "We leave at once, and do not spare any energy as I perceive that you are back to full strength."

"Yes, I am," Kasumi replied, "The trance healed me, just as you taught me, Sensei, and now I am ready to face the Sith once again, if it becomes necessary."

"If what we are both feeling is to believed, then it will be more than necessary," Trieste revealed, then together they exited the dojo, leaving the others behind to exchanged worried looks and puzzled expressions, though all agreed that something ominous was in the works, which-accompanied by other new developments-very much left everyone with a sense that they were facing another potential disaster in the making...

Purge roared his displeasure as he attempted once again to nail the annoying little bug who was flitting about and defying his righteous wrath. That a mere human-and one who clearly was near the end of his life-cycle-could be so quick, daring and agile was remarkable in itself, but Purge was far from daunted upon meeting such a formidable fighter. If anything, he was intrigued, especially since he could perceive the strong Dark force that churned within his opponent's diminutive body.

"Hold still, you annoying insect," Purge barked, "Hold still so I can squash you!"

"Oh, like I'd ever agree to let you do that," Happosai countered as he continue avoiding the attacks of the towering lizard-man, "You know, for someone big, green and scaly, you talk a better fight than you've been showing me so far."

"Is that so?" Purge mused as his eyes darkened slightly, "Then I'll show you what the true meaning of terror is, Old Human, and then you will know the power of the Dark side, which you have challenged!"

With that the lizard-man closed his eyes and summoned up his power, projecting a field around himself that made the very air hum with electrostatic tension. His large form began to be surrounded by a globe of dark energies that was only visible to one as Ki-sensitive as Happosai.

"Not too shabby," Happosai mused, "Pretty nice battle aura you've got there..."

"This is nothing," Purge replied, "Feel my wrath as the Force magnifies my awesome terror."

"Eh?" Happosai suddenly realized that he was feeling a bit lighter than usual and glanced down in mild dismay, finding that he was being lifted from the ground, along with every other loose object in their immediate surroundings.

All at once Purge caused these objects to move as rock, branch, gravel and Happosai began to swirl as if drawn on invisible wires into a weightless dance that picked up on momentum until the whole mass was orbiting about the motionless Sith Lord. When he judged sufficient velocity had been generated, the Dark Lord hurled his hapless victim with great violence into the bowel of a nearby tree, then slammed the rest of the debris into the old man with force enough to shatter a normal person's bones into powder.

"There," Purge smiled in a reptilian sort of way, "That should establish which of us is truly the Master of his art."

"Well," a voice beside him unexpectedly remarked, "I admit that was pretty impressive, but you've still got a ways to go before I'd refer to you as a Master..."

Purge would have insisted that it was physically impossible for him to jump out of his scales, but the sudden appearance of the old man at his side was so utterly incomprehensible that he jumped away with a look of dismay that totally belied his own self-conception as an unflappable paragon of evil.

"HOW-?" he asked in a loud and totally bewildered tone of dismay, seeing that his opponent was not even seriously injured.

"Now that would be giving away important secret techniques of the Anything Goes system," Happosai said with a totally matter-of-fact smirk of superiority on his face, "And you wouldn't expect me to do that for free, would you? I'll concede that you are pretty good for an amateur, and that trick did surprise me for a second or two, but beyond the surprise factor, it falls well short of being a true representation of what a Master can accomplish."

"I see that there is more to you than I did suspect," Purge growled, "But if you wish a more visible demonstration of what a Sith Lord can achieve on his own, then you will have that demonstration."

This time Purge did not close his eyes to summon up his power, instead he stared beyond the visible spectrum and allowed his mind to shift his focus to the realm of energy in its purest sense, seeing patterns and the flow of energy dynamics all around them, and when his mind was fully attuned to these shifting light and dark forces, he was ready to effect the pattern by exerting his will into the overall structure.

All at once the air around them began to hiss and crackle with jolts of energy crackling in the surrounding environment. Happosai sensed great power literally sizzling the air as the gray hairs on the back and sides of his head stood on end, and this-he rightly judged-was but a mere fraction of the power that was now at Purge's disposal.

"Well now," the old man remarked, "This is a little more impressive..."

"So glad you find it so amusing," Purge replied, "Now taste the wrath of a Sith Lord enraged!"

And with that declaration there resounded a massive explosion as the gathered energy was unleashed in one massive burst of cataclysmic dipolar inferno...

Ukyo was off-balance and cornered when Akane moved in to confront her bodily, and with no room to retreat on her part, she could only watch in growing confusion as Akane pressed up against her with a smile on her face that was neither shy nor uncertain about what she was doing. Without knowing how it happened she found her towel had been removed, leaving her as naked as the other girl as Akane once again put her arms about Ukyo's shoulders and drew her into an embrace that once again confused her senses. Before Ukyo could focus enough to repel the girl's advances she felt Akane's hands slide down her back and cup both parts of her fanny, but rather than kiss her the dark haired girl instead rested her head upon Ukyo's bosom.

"Mmmm...you smell so nice," Akane cooed as she nuzzled Ukyo's skin with her cheek, "And you feel nice and warm...just like I'd imagined..."

Ukyo was trying to free her arms when she heard this, and though she was definitely not comfortable about being this close to the amorous girl presently molesting her, but as she was attempting to rally herself to repel the assault, she paused to realize that Akane was not using the Force to compel her compliance, and yet some power within her stayed her hand from doing anything more aggressive to end the entirely awkward encounter.

"What do you mean I smell nice?" Ukyo frowned, "And let me go-HEY! What are you...doing...?"

"Now, don't be upset with me, Ukyo," Akane urged her, "I'm not doing anything unpleasant, am I? I mean...you've never really let yourself be this close to anyone, and no one's ever done this for you either, am I right?"

"But...what...?" Ukyo struggled within the embrace of the other girl, only to find the caress of Akane's hands against her body was doing something incredible to her nervous system, further weakening her resolve to pry off this annoying pest and salvage what she could of her dignity despite the entire bizarre situation.

"Look, I know I'm being forward and maybe going a bit too fast here," Akane cooed, "But life's too short to waste time darting around the issue when I know what it is I want with you, and how I want to please you."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "What do you-HEY! Quit that!"

"Do you really want me to quit?" Akane asked as she ran her fingers up and down over the silky smooth pelvis of her intended quarry, who naturally squirmed around at the press of those fingers up against her most private, personal area, "When I can do this for you...and go even deeper?"

Ukyo was round-eyed as she struggled against emotions that were different from anything that she had ever experienced before, amazed that she was not struggling harder against the embrace of her tormentor, for though Akane was a very strong girl for her petite size, Ukyo should have had no problem at all with fighting her off. She knew a hundred different techniques that could have liberated her from the embrace of this Hentai, yet she was much too surprised at the reactions of her own body when those cunning fingers playing with her sex slid up against the stiffening nub of her most sensitive nerve cluster, and then parted the folds of her lotus-like labia and slid a finger into her loins as Ukyo self-lubricated in response to the teasing play that was having such an effect of driving her to total distraction.

"Like that?" Akane asked as Ukyo groaned softly with involuntary arousal, "I thought you would. I don't think any girl in the world would refuse to have somebody play with her down there, just as long as it's the right person, someone who enjoys giving pleasure to you, Ukyo, just like I feel pleasure being this close to you. It feels so nice holding you this way, I feel real comfortable being with you, like this is the most natural thing in the world..."

"Speak for yourself!" Ukyo protested, but it was more for show as she was caught up in the novelty of her situation, torn between disgust and fascination at the way previously unknown sensations were causing her body to react in ways very different from any previous form of training. How was Akane doing this to her, and why did Ukyo want her to continue?

"Oh yeah, this is nice," Akane affectionately murmured, then her voice grew even more mischievous as she added with a leer, "But I know what would feel even better..."

"Hah?" Ukyo gasped, only to glance down in dismay as Akane sank down to her knees with her cheek and hands sliding down the Sith Padawan's smoothly padded chest and stomach, the dark haired Tendo girl positioning herself in the space directly between Ukyo's parted thighs, and to the latter's growing amazement the former began to ply a knowledge of feminine anatomy that left Ukyo round-eyed and gasping.

"One thing..." Akane murmured as her lips went to work turning Ukyo's mind to guacamole, "...about being a girl...you know...instinctively...what it feels like...when I do this..."

Further conversation was rendered moot as Akane had other uses for her mouth and Ukyo could not form a single coherent syllable to offer up in protest. This went on for a full two minutes with Ukyo backed up all the way onto the examination table while Akane lapped her inner thighs and sex and caused electricity to course, jolt and tingle all along Ukyo's nervous system. Her body treasonably began to respond accommodatingly with the urgency of Akane's oral actions, and it seemed as if Ukyo was on the verge of a total loss of all self-control when a voice intruded into their saucy hijinx in a familiar feminine tone of concern, "Akane-chan? Shampoo? Are you in there...Oh! Hello, Tofu-sensei...?"

"K-K-Kasumi?" came Tofu's automatic reply, causing both Akane and Ukyo to pause at the wholly unexpected interruption...

ONE MINUTE EARLIER...

Tofu glanced up with a surprised expression on his face as he heard what sounded like a groan coming from inside his office. He turned from where he had been heating up another pot of tea and began to say, "That's odd...did you hear something?"

Shampoo, who stood out on the back patio area adjoining the living space of Tofu's clinic, paused in the act of wringing out yet another article of clothing then smiled as she sensed exactly what Akane was up to, then said matter-of-  
factly, "Do not concern yourself, honored Healer, there is nothing amiss that is of concern to you at the moment."

"Oh, well...I thought maybe someone might be having trouble back there," Tofu replied, "Perhaps I should go and have a look..."

"This one does not sense...trouble, as you would infer it," Shampoo reassured him, once again feeling a thrill as he turned his gentle eyes her way, "Please observe, this one wishes to demonstrate to you how we dry clothing in China."

Being assured that she did have his attention, Shampoo smiled to herself then took up the heavy cotton gi that she had just finished wringing of excess moisture, and with a summoning up of her Chi, she began to whirl the thing in a tight circle, generating a lot of centrifugal force that caused the remaining dampness within the gi to evaporate without damaging the fibers. She then held up the finished product for his inspection and smiled as she saw his surprised expression.

"Oh my," the handsome Doctor remarked as he stretched out a hand and confirmed by touch what his eyes had informed him, "It feels dry and soft, just like you had it done professionally."

"Is called Dance of the Whirling Tiger," Shampoo all but gushed, feeling pleased by his favorable reaction, "Elders in tribe always insist we train by using household chores to perfect special techniques. Is way to dry clothes in great hurry, but it works best to treat clothing first with special aloe lotion that this one carries with her for such occasions."

"Well now, you must be a very clever and resourceful young girl to have so many useful talents," Tofu remarked, "The elders of your village must be very wise and capable if they can teach you skills that are so practical and handy."

Shampoo all but gushed with the praise, feeling much like a small child who had done something to earn a compliment from her great grandmother, though the emotions that were churning up in her were anything but childish impulses. Just sensing the warm strength of this man who stood before her was causing the butterflies in the Amazon's stomach to take up kickboxing for a hobby, and he was so handsome with a voice that made her feel weak in the knees. If only he were a warrior who might challenge her for the right to take her hand in marriage, then Shampoo would be a very happy woman indeed, other feelings and commitments notwithstanding...

But then the door to clinic slid open, and in stepped her adoptive oath-sister, Kasumi, who glanced around the clinic before calling out aloud, , "Akane-chan? Shampoo? Are you in there...Oh! Hello, Tofu-sensei...?"

"K-K-Kasumi?" Tofu reacted with a start, "F-F-Fancy meeting you here...what brings you to my place...would you like some tea? I can have Betty-chan prepare another pot ready in a jiffy..."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo wondered why the man's glasses had just started to fog up, and what was this peculiar change in his emotional nature that she perceived...?

"Kasumi-dear," Elder Trieste remarked, "Perhaps it would be better if you let me talk to the good doctor. You know how he gets when you surprise him like this."

"Ah...yes, Sensei," Kasumi amended, then turned and called out, "Akane? Are you in there, Sister?"

To the surprise of everyone but Shampoo, Akane's voice sounded downright irritated as she responded, "YES, I'm here, Oneechan...what is it?"

"Have you seen Nabiki?" Kasumi asked, "It's very important that I find her right away, and..."

"Ah...this is not a good time, Oneechan," Akane called out, "I haven't seen Nabiki since Shampoo and me left the house about an hour ago...why? Is she in trouble?"

"I believe that she is in great danger," Kasumi said as she went to the door adjoining the living area and the clinic, "I know that she is with Ranma, but they..."

"Ranchan?" a wholly unexpected voice reacted, causing Kasumi to pause as she looked into the clinic examination room, even as Trieste raised an eyebrow and perceived the presence of another in the adjoining chamber, one whose aura was clouded and yet somehow familiar...

"Oh my..." Kasumi exclaimed in a gentle voice as she saw who it was whom Akane had backed up onto the examination table, "Kuonji Ukyo? But..."

"DO YOU MIND!" Ukyo all but shouted as she covered herself up with her hands and gave the older girl a withering expression.

"Ah...oh...ah...quite," Kasumi backed away then turned to look at her mentor with the most peculiar of expressions.

Trieste just sighed, "Akane...have you been making a new friend?"

"Ah...sort-of," Akane meekly responded, "We got wet on the way here and stopped in to dry off and..."

"And one thing has led to another it seems," Trieste concluded for her with a sigh, "Akane-chan, I won't tell you how to sort out your personal business, but are you certain this is wise? After all, you are dealing with a dangerous adversary, and while I can understand the allure of a moth towards a candle, this might be pushing it some, don't you think?"

"You're not gonna tell Mom about this, are you?" Akane faintly pleaded.

"Not unless you tell her first," Trieste replied, "Now, if you don't mind, we are in a bit of a hurry here, Kasumi-chan, so let's leave these young people to their...business...and go in search of your other sister."

"Very well," Kasumi bowed to Tofu and Shampoo, "So worry to have disturbed you, we will speak on this another time."

"Oh, sure, anytime, Kasumi," Tofu responded in a voice that demonstrated absolutely no comprehension of what else was being discussed, and to all concerned it seemed as if he had retreated into his own little world as he took up his skeleton off the hook and began dancing with it in the middle of his tiny dining room-slash-kitchen.

Shampoo stared in dismay at the inexplicable behavior of the doctor as Kasumi and Trieste left in a hurry. One moment he had been calm and gentle-mannered, the ideal picture of an Amazon husband, and the next...he was behaving like the town drunkard, and all because of Kasumi, her big sister. What was one to make of such an odd transformation, was the man bespelled or under an enchantment?

And why did the thought of that upset her so? Shampoo was not at all certain of what to make of these developments, but she was quite certain that she did not like the implications...

"Whew," Akane sagged a little, "What lousy timing. But if Nabiki's gone and gotten herself into some kind of trouble, then I guess we'll just have to postpone the rest of our fun until...huh? Ukyo? What are you doing?"

Ukyo was no longer sitting on the examination table but had rolled over onto the other side and then used the Force to pull a chair from across the room into her arms, and now she was holding it up between herself and Akane, much like a Lion Tamer who had backed herself into a corner.

"Don't come new me!" Ukyo said with an edge to her voice, "I don't know what you did to me a minute ago to make me...let you do stuff like that, but no more, you hear me?"

"Huh?" Akane asked with a puzzled expression.

"Look," Ukyo said a bit more reasonably as she took a deep breath to calm herself down and slow the beating of her racing heart, "You had your fun and got a few cheap thrills, but...but I'm not like that! You can't make me do stuff like that...it's...it's not right...it ain't natural..."

Akane folded her arms under her chest and said, "It's as natural and as right as you want to make it, Ukyo...and what are you so afraid about? You were enjoying everything right up until Oneechan spoiled the mood..."

"I WAS NOT!" Ukyo cried a bit wildly.

"Ukyo," Akane tried again, "What's wrong with making out with me? What's wrong with letting us both have a little harmless fun? No one was getting hurt here, and you have to admit that it's a lot more enjoyable even than fighting, not that I'd miss out on a good scrap if you'd rather do that..."

"What?" Ukyo blinked, the chair dipping a little.

"I'll meet you anytime, anywhere under whatever conditions you like," Akane replied, "Because I know you'd give me a better workout than a hundred guys at our school, and I really do respect you as a fighter. But I want more than just that from you...I really do want to be your friend, even a little bit more than your friend, if you'd let me into your life..."

"Friend?" Ukyo repeated the word as if it were spoken in a foreign language.

"Yeah," Akane assured her, "As in somebody who isn't plotting to hurt you all the time, somebody who can be there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on, or when you just want to hang out and do nothing...or do something, whatever you'd like," she leered again before resuming a more-or-less harmless expression, "Wouldn't you like it better if you knew that there was at least one person in this world who thought you were a good person, who'd care about you and be there when you needed them, who'd do things for you without having to be asked? Someone who genuinely wants to be with you because they think you're worth having for a friend? Isn't that a whole lot better than spending all your time feeling hurt, abandoned and angry?"

Ukyo just stared at her without comprehension until Shampoo came into the room and said, "Akane...what is Tofu-Sensei hanging from lights behaving like monkey?"

"Oh," Akane immediately felt crestfallen, "That's just...his way of acting whenever Kasumi comes around. He'll be all right again in another few minutes."

"Hiyaa?" Shampoo looked curiously at her new friend.

"It's...kind of hard to explain," Akane tried again, "Tofu-Sensei has a brush on Oneechan, but Kasumi never gives him the time of day, so he gets kind of excited and goes off into his own little world and behaves like a real loon until the moment passes him by."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "What do you mean? That cute Doctor guy?"

"Oho?" Akane arched an eyebrow and smiled at her, "So you think he's cute, do you?"

"AWP-I do not!" Ukyo immediately protested.

"Why you holding chair off floor?" Shampoo asked of the befuddled chef.

"Ah..." Ukyo glanced down at the thing she had clenched in both hands as if realizing that this was a very good question.

"You outlanders are very strange," Shampoo sighed, then tossed something in Ukyo's direction, "Here...you get clothing back, nice and dry, just as Shampoo say she do. Akane want gi? It in next room next to panties..."

"Thanks Shampoo," Akane smiled, "Guess I ought to put something on if I'm gonna go help Nabiki."

Ukyo frowned as she saw Akane head to the door and said, "Are you gonna dress yourself in front of that Tofu guy?"

"Might as well," Akane called back over her shoulder, "When he gets like this he won't even notice that I'm around...much as I'd wish otherwise," she added in a sour undertone as she vanished into Tofu's living area to reclaim her pants, panties and gi-top.

Ukyo remained where she was, having set down the chair when she caught up her clothing. She noticed that Shampoo was still standing where she was and had already dressed in her Chinese Pantsuit and most definitely was not looking away, so the Sith Padawan glared at her and said, "Do you mind?"

"No mind at all," Shampoo shrugged, "Spatula girl very nice to look at."

"That isn't what I mean!" Ukyo growled, "I'd like a little privacy here..."

"And this one would like to be Empress of all of China, but we no get everything we want," the Amazon said philosophically, "But Shampoo is not as trusting as Akane that Spatula girl has completely learned all of the errors of her way."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo said belligerently, "And what are you gonna do about it?"

"Find ways of convincing Ukyo that it is much nicer on our side of the Force," the purple haired girl smiled, her leer uncannily resembling that of Akane's, "And if Ukyo think Akane very persuasive, wait until you experience full body Amazon technique, Dance of the Flying Fingers."

Ukyo just blinked at this and said, "The what? Are you making that up?"

"It is a valid technique from Amazon manual," Shampoo calmly reassured her, "But if you like, then this one will give a full demonstration."

"DON"T YOU DARE!" Ukyo cried, realizing from her tone and manner that the Amazon was serious in her offer, and if her methods of inducing sensual arousal were anything at all when compared to the things Akane had just done to her...

"You dress quickly, yes?" Shampoo urged her nominal rival, "Little Brother Ranma may need you to assist him if trouble big sister Kasumi hint about as bad as this one is suspecting."

"You think somebody's gonna threaten Ranchan?" Ukyo thought a moment about her own question then said, "Right...what am I saying? Ranchan was born to get into trouble..."

Deciding there was nothing more to be done about the matter, Ukyo dropped her pretense at modesty and began dressing herself in a hurry, doing her level best to ignore the red-eyed Amazon girl even as she could feel Shampoo's eyes raking her over, for which sense Ukyo silently vowed that there would be dire retribution...

If only she could think of a suitable means of punishing the big breasted girl that did not overly remind her of the feel of her hands caressing the soft skin and firm bosom of the seductive Chinese minx, a thought which only further added to her intensifying sense of gender confusion, to say nothing of rekindled doubts about her sexual orientation and mixed loyalties as a Sith was not supposed to feel this attracted to a Jedi Force Master.

With this thought in mind she finished dressing then slipped her bandoleer and spatula back into their accustomed place. By the time she finished dressing Akane had rejoined them, having said her apologies to a semi-aware Tofu before the three of them headed out in search of the others, most particularly Nabiki and Ranma...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/C-Ko Cooking Lessons: shadowmane

The battle between Purge and Happosai elevates to new levels of mayhem as Ranma and Nabiki are confronted with the perils of being trapped in the peripheral zone, but what happens when Mousse and Ryoga revive and enter the picture? Be with us next time for: "Return of the Jedi to Sender," or, "The Hentai Strikes Back!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: angcobra1. All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	17. Chapter 17

Jedi Kasumi17

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Seventeen.  
(Under Seventeen Not Admitted)

The Perils of Polling

Having narrowly escaped a perilous encounter with Akane Tendo, the Sith Padawan Ukyo Kuonji-uncertain of her new role in these affairs,  
has joined a makeshift posse of her former adversaries, the Jedi, who are rushing to the aid of Ranma and Nabiki,  
guided by a prescient warning of immanent danger by Kasumi Tendo, Ukyo's nominal rival...

Meanwhile Ranma and Nabiki are observing a battle being waged between the Sith Lord, Darth Purge, and Happosai, the founder of the Anything Goes school of Indiscriminate Grappling.  
Said encounter is taking on the proportions of a major-league grudge match as Purge and Happosai attempt to outdo one another in both style and potency of their mutual attacks, which are causing more collateral damage to their surroundings than to one another...

And unknown to all of these respective parties, a new presence is about to join in the field of play, one destined to play a larger role in the lives of the Jedi,  
to say nothing of certain forgotten parties left behind by Purge in his quest to squash the annoying bug that is named Happosai...

"Well now, this is a fine mess," observed the tired traveler from her lofty advantage, "Did he leave you like discarded goods along the wayside after all, as I had predicted? How fitting in a way, and how sad. Your mothers would be so disappointed..."

Those words intruded upon the pleasant fantasies of a semi-conscious Mu Tsu, who reluctantly opened his eyes and peered up at the face of an incredibly ancient-  
seeming woman, his normally bad eyesight being somewhat sharper when he was in his "cursed" angelic form. He knew the speaker right away, even groaned a bit before saying, "What do you want, Old Monkey?"

Rather than be baited by the crude insult, Kho-Lon of the Joketsuzoku only sighed, "Mu-Tsu, desist in this folly. I foresee no good end for you if you keep up with your present training. This Darth Purge has not made you a stronger fighter, he has merely added a weapon for you to play with and eventually hurt yourself, to say nothing of any prospects you might once have had of claiming my great-granddaughter."

"And what business is it of yours, Old Woman?" Mu-Tsu snapped as he rolled onto his chest and used that angle to leverage himself back into an upright position (one of the disadvantage of having wings on ones back was that they tended to trap you there if your back was what you happened to land upon, feeling much like having a pair of flat-boards strapped to your shoulders, "You cast me out of our tribe, remember? You said I was dead to you..."

"An unfortunate choice of words and actions on my part," Kho-Lon conceded, "I wanted to minimize the potential risk to our village that was attended upon your training, but when you followed the stranger willingly into exile it marked for us that you had changed into a stranger. This dark obsession of yours with either punishing or conquering Tendo Kasumi..."

"Is my chosen path," Mu-Tsu haughtily glowered, "And no one-not even you-  
can bar me from winning Xian-Pu's hand in marriage..."

"Even if you do so against the will of she whom you claim to love?" Kho-Lon countered, "Mu-Tsu, even you must concede that it is insanity to believe that Xian-Pu will come to love you if you hurt her friends and come between her and those whom she does care for. In China you only succeeded in alienating yourself from her by preventing her from having any contact with the other men in our village...is it any great surprise that she then turned her affections to other women?"

"That-that has nothing to do with it!" Mu-Tsu insisted, "It was Tendo Kasumi who seduced my innocent, sweet Xian-Pu..."

"You cannot honestly believe that Tender Kasumi was the first," Kho-Lon said more sternly, "Or did you think that the time she spent with Lo-Xion and Pur-  
Fum was all about exchanging recipes for healing potions? And did you think that Amber-Gris chose to up and go on that sabatacal because she found Xian-Pu's fighting style so formidable? Do you have any notion what the two of them did to make up after their fight? I assure you, it involved a lot more than simple kissing..."

"Lies, slanders, I won't hear of it!" Mu-Tsu declared, just checking his rash impulse to attack the old woman since doing so would be proof that he had taken leave of all of his good senses, You are just trying to confuse me...!"

"Hey, would you keep it down over there?" someone else said in Mandarin Chinese, "Some of us are trying to catch up on their sleep..."

Kho-Lon turned to regard the other semi-dazed boy just now reviving and mused to herself that this one had a natural resilience and recovery time far greater than even she had estimated during his brief visit to the lands of the Nyanchiczu. Aloud what she said was, "Oh, and are we disturbing your rest, Lord One? A pity that..."

"Where am I?" Ryoga shifted back to his native Japanese, looking momentarily confused before saying, "Back at camp? But where is Sensei?"

"Off finding out first hand why some demons are better off left sleeping," Kho-  
Lon mused in a wry moment of brief humor, replaced with a sigh that was as mysterious as it was heartfelt, "You were left forgotten while he does battle with one who cannot easily be beaten. I trust you had a good nap, Boy, because your services-such as they are-may be called upon shortly."

Comprehension filled the Lost Boy's eyes as Ryoga jumped to his feet and said, "YOU? I mean...Old Lady? But-what-where...?"

He frantically looked around as if expecting to see another party.

"Calm down, Fool," Kho-Lon chided, "I didn't bring her with me if that's what you're afraid about, not that I expect her to heed my wishes that she stay back at the village, in which case you will have just cause to be concerned. I am not here to drag you back to her either, I have other business in Nerima, and I want to reassure you that there will be no cause for quarrel between us...unless you behave rashly and refuse to listen to my warnings."

"What are you here for, Old Lady?" Ryoga asked with a much more guarded expression.

"It is simple," Kho-Lon replied, "I am here to find Tendo Kasumi. She and her Seifu were recent guests at our village and carry the status of Amazon Sisters by adoption. What I have to say to them is of great importance and concerns no other ears but their own. I am also hoping to look up Xian-Pu's adopted brother in the hopes of learning if he has progressed much in the art since last I tutored him, and perhaps to persuade him to consider Xian-Pu as more than a sister. It would be a great boon to our bloodlines if he were to add his own seed to our family's ancestry."

"You want to Stud him like a bull, using Xian-Pu as your brood mare?" Mu-Tsu declared in outrage, "I KNEW IT! NEVER! I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS...!"

He never even saw the attack until the old woman's staff rendered him once more semi-conscious. Even Ryoga was impressed with the speed and precision of her efforts, reckoning that the old Mummy was a far sight more spy than she let on in normal conversation.

"Let that be a lesson to you, Boy," Cologne addressed the hapless Mousse, "What you call the Force is called the Shan in our language, and it is identical to the Chi that we harness as the backbone to our training. You may think yourself powerful and clever, but it would take a hundred years of training before you could even hope to match me."

Ryoga decided then and there that making this old lady upset with him was not a very good career option. In more respectful tones than he might otherwise have employed, he said, "I don't know whatever your intentions are towards Ranma, Old Lady, but I've sworn an oath of vengeance against him for his many crimes against me..."

"And what crimes are those, pray tell?" Cologne asked him, "That he waited three days and not four to meet you in a challenge match? That he attempted to befriend you after you had that quarrel over bread in the middle school that you attended? That you followed him to Jusenkyo and got cursed through your own carelessness and inattention?"

"All that and...and what he did to me later," Ryoga flushed with embarrassment, "If it wasn't for him, I..."

"Wouldn't have tripped and fallen on top of Ambergris, thus provoking that fight you had," Cologne said in some amusement, "Which also had the perverse effect of getting you on the bad side of my other great-granddaughter, Perfume, who was hoping to score another conquest."

"Hey, I didn't know about any of that!" Ryoga protested, "Those laws of yours..."

"They are our way, Boy," Cologne sobered, "Handed down to us from the very beginning of our race. Strong husbands for strong warriors, we say, and you definitely count as a strong warrior, whatever your shortcomings in...other areas. You'd still make some Amazon a very find husband. To bad the one who fell for you happens to like crossdressers..."

Ryoga shuddered, visibly remembering and reliving what had to be one of his lease favorite memories. Small wonder when the offer from Purge came along to teach him new methods of combat he had snatched it up like a drowning man would a life preserver. It was not that he had anything in particular against the pink-haired Amazon in particular...it was just that she had a rather...domineering nature that fairly intimidated him and made Ryoga want to be anywhere else but China.

"But enough of all that," Cologne turned and surveyed the other sleeping occupant of the camp, "Do I take it that this is the infamous Taro Pantsaru? Yes...not many victims of Jusenkyo who look like that, even unconscious."

Ryoga took notice of Taro's condition for the first time, which was pretty amazing considering how hard it was to miss a giant bull-headed winged monster, "What happened to him?"

"My guess is that he got his wish and found Happosai," Cologne replied with a mild stiff, "So, that makes three of you in all...so where is the forth student, that girl you were with who combines martial arts with cooking?"

"Ukyo?" Ryoga replied, looking equally puzzled until his expression darkened and he rubbed the back of his head, "That had to be her who clobbered me...nobody else could sneak up on me like that. One of these days she'll go too far and..."

"And what will you do?" Cologne asked, "Do you know the answer to that one, Boy?"

"Huh?" Ryoga frowned, "What are you getting at?"

"I sense strong emotions rising up within you at the mere mention of her name," Cologne revealed, "Have you feelings for her that you have been unable to express to her face, and is that the reason why you seem so flustered all of a sudden?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryoga looked away, "She means nothing to me but an obstacle. She's the senior student, and I have to beat her before Sensei will acknowledge me as his apprentice."

"And that is your only reason?" Cologne asked shrewdly.

"Of course," Ryoga refused to meet the old woman's stare, "What other reason is there?"

"Then I suppose that it will not interest you what happens to her in the very near future?" Cologne asked with a hidden smile in her withered expression.

"What?" Ryoga turned about, "What happens to her? What are you talking about? Is something happening to Ukyo?"

"Not that you would care, of course," Cologne mused, "But if you will follow me you may be in time to see your Master fighting with his all against Happosai, and that will be where Ranma and my great granddaughter will doubtless be heading, along with Lady Trieste and Tendo Kasumi."

"You know where they are?" Ryoga asked with just a bit more urgency than usual in his voice.

"They should be easy enough to locate," Cologne assured him, "Just follow the explosions and the trail of debris, I'm sure we'll find everyone of importance gathered around to witness the real excitement."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ryoga asked, only to find the old woman suddenly standing atop her staff directly in his path looking directly at him from eye level, which caused him to start, "What...?"

"As I thought, your eyes are dilated," Cologne mused aloud, "I've been wondering what was a bit off in your behavior. Well, never mind, we will discuss this later. For now we have a battle to catch up with, and if you want to see the price of vengeance, then follow me now, and don't spare the leg power."

More than somewhat confused, and not sure exactly why he should follow her orders, Ryoga took off after the old woman, sensing as he did so that something was indeed causing a strong disturbance in the Force, one that rippled through every rock and tree with such intensity that he marveled that he had not noticed this until now, and without a single doubt or hesitation he hurried up his pace, knowing that he had to be there soon or else be left out from the momentous events that were about to happen...

Purge could not believe his eyes as he saw the little man hop up onto the fence as hale and hearty as ever, as if the smoldering crater that remained of the place where he had previously been standing did not indicate to the contrary that nothing human should have survived his last attack.

"Pretty good, for an amateur," the annoying bug noted, "I'll admit that was very impressive, but it still doesn't put you in the big leagues in my book?"

"Then what would earn your respect?" Purge growled through clenched teeth, his anger momentarily checked by genuine curiosity over his opponent's continued existence.

"Well now," the little man scratched behind one ear, "That all depends. If you could do something really neat and original with all that energy besides blow things up, then we might talk. So far you're just wasting your time and showing me that you don't really have a basic grasp of the possibilities of what you could do with your Ki besides act mindlessly destructive. A real Master ought to show a little more finesse, not try and impress on everybody what a tough guy you are, let people underestimate you by thinking you're fairly harmless..."

"Harmless?" Purge scoffed, "Do you really think that someone such as me could be taken as harmless?"

"Er," Happosai eyed the almost seven-foot-tall lizard man then reluctantly conceded, "Probably not. Still, it doesn't hurt to adopt a more casual air instead of always trying to make people know that you're a tough guy."

"This is pointless," Purge's nostrils flared and his eyes nictitated, "I would not lower myself to taking the advice of a human who is long past his natural life cycle."

"Hey now, don't be so hasty," Happosai smiled, "The fact that I'm still around means that I must know something about the art, right?"

Purge took a moment before conceding that with a nod.

"Then why don't we stop wasting our time and energy with trying to beat each other up?" Happosai asked, "We could learn a lot from each other if you wouldn't mind sharing."

"What?" Purge scoffed, "You think I would want to take one such as you on as an apprentice?"

"Actually I was thinking more the other way around," Happosai mused, "You can be my apprentice...you've certainly got a lot more on the ball than those two useless lagabouts that I used to coach before you."

Purge took a full second to react to this, and then his rage boiled over into the fore again as he bellowed, "FOOL!" and took a savage swipe in Happosai's direction with his lightsaber...

"Uh oh," Nabiki noted from where she and Ranma stood surveying the battle on the sidelines, "I think the old man just made Purge mad all over again..."

"Who the hell is he?" Ranma asked, "And how is he doing this? That old fossil's got the big lizard guy chasing his own tail..."

"It's incredible all right," Nabiki remarked, "His speed and timing and flawless, and he's got moves even you've never displayed, Ranma-kun."

"Huh," Ranma snorted, but then he was forced to reply, "Okay, so the old Prune's pretty sharp...but what I can't figure out is how he knows the Anything Goes system. Some of those moves remind me of the way Pop fights..."

"You think so?" Nabiki cocked an eyebrow at that, "I was going to say the same thing about my father. Incredible as it seems, Ranma-kun, but that old guy must either know our fathers or be part of the same school. Think he might be our great grandfather?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What makes you ask a thing like that?"

"Ah...I don't know, really," Nabiki blinked too, "It just popped into my head for some reason. He sure looks old enough to be someone's great grandfather..."

All at once the breeze shifted direction, and Happosai suddenly backed away from a counter-attack to pause and sniff the breeze, at which point he made a hand-  
sign and cried, "Time out! We got company here...and she smells like a real cutie!"

"What?" Purge paused in mid-strike and turned his own head to sniff the breeze, and then he declared, "You are right...there are humans present...a male and a female..."

"Who cares about the guy?" Happosai said dismissively, "Just let me at the cutie, Hubba-Hubba!"

"Huh?" Ranma straightened out and shielded h is eyes against the glare of the sun as he surveyed the battle-zone, "Now that's weird...where did the old guy vanish to?"

"Strange," Nabiki said as she stood on tip-toes on the wall upon which they both were standing, "I could have sworn I saw him move for a second-AAAWWWPPP!"

She yelped and started tumbling backward as something latched itself to her chest and started rubbing its face against her cleavage. Nabiki barely had the presence of mind to conjure up the Force in order to break her fall as she landed with a rude jolt on her back with the tiny figure clinging to her with a grip that utterly refused to be shaken.

"Nabiki!" the old man happily cried, "I knew it had to be you...the scent is the same as before, only you're so much bigger than I remember..." his hands fondled her chest to confirm his hopeful suspicions, "Oh yeah...a lot bigger than Akane, though not quite in that Shampoo's class...still, it's better to be nice sized than too generous, I always say..."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO ME?" Nabiki demanded as she tried to pry the lecher from her person, only to see him leap away voluntarily while clutching her silk lingerie bra in one hand like a triumphant trophy.

"Oooh yeah!" Happosai cried delightedly as he began to rub the silky thing against his face, "There's nothing quite like the scent of a woman in full bloom, and still a virgin no less, pretty rare in these days with young people throwing themselves at the first randy stud who comes their way..."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" a male voice eerily echoed Nabiki's, compelling Happosai to glance up at the young man still perched atop the wall with a towering rage evident in his expression.

"Well now, who's this?" Happosai wondered, frowning slightly, "You wouldn't happen to be Genma's little boy all grown up, would you?"

"Huh?" the question momentarily derailed Ranma's anger, "You know my Pop?"

"Hah, I knew it!" the little man smirked, "You're Ranma, the wild Pup I've been hearing so much about. Think you're hot stuff with the ladies, do you? Not that I can fault your taste, since she really is a cute one..."

The reminder of the flushed and embarrassed Nabiki caused Ranma to glance over at her, seeing the way she clutched at her own Gi as though afraid of showing something unintended. The look in her eyes did something inside him that was strangely overwhelming, and all at once his anger returned, empowered by a righteous sense of wounded indignity for the girl he had befriended, to say nothing of the strangely territorial anger that was mixed with emotions still new to him and thus not easily recognized.

"You're gonna pay for doing that to Nabiki!" Ranma growled, jumping off the wall and aiming a kick at the old man, only to find himself turned around in mid-air as he went slamming face-first into the very wall upon which he had been standing.

"Sloppy attack, Boy," Happosai declared, "Your father should have taught you better."

"You know our fathers?" Nabiki asked, taking a deep breath to attempt to reassert her calm control over her own emotions.

"Sure do," Happosai replied, "Taught them everything they know...with maybe one or two exceptions. Not everything I know, of course, so you might say that I'm your Grand Master, though you can call me Happy."

"I'll call you half a loaf," Nabiki said as she got to her feet and pulled out her favorite weapon, triggering the spring mechanism that caused it to extend into a full-sized Naginata.

"Well now," Happosai lifted an eyebrow without evidencing too much concern, even after Nabiki activated the curbed energy beam that formed the blade of her weapon, "Pretty interesting toy you have there. Make it yourself?"

"It's one of my hobbies," Nabiki replied, swirling her weapon around like a staff as she sought to impress on the old man her displeasure with his conduct, "You grope me, hurt my boyfriend, and you have the nerve to call yourself a Grand Master?"

"Boyfriend now?" Happosai gave Ranma an amused look, "So that's the way it is, eh? You don't waste time, a man after my own heart. Maybe there's potential in you yet, Boy."

"Don't dismiss me because I'm a girl!" Nabiki snarled, slashing down with her Naginata and deliberately missing.

Her aim was not to attack the man directly, reasoning that it would be much less expected for her to aim her beam at the ground beside his feet, and once the hot magnetically curved blade hit the soil it caused the rocks and dirt to explode from rapid expansion. The blast kicked up a cloud of dust in all directions even as Nabiki began whirling her beam around with senses extended. A warning prickle caused her to stab backward with the blunt-end of the handle, but to her surprise the old man easily avoided the attack in spite of it being all but invisible to normal senses.

"Oh, I'm not dismissing you or anything, Nabiki-chan," Happosai said as he perched upon the metal shaft of her Naginata, "But the fact that you're a girl means I've got to go easy on you, so you won't mind if I do this?"

The Naginata was kicked out of her hands so sharp that Nabiki was left gasping, then all at once she felt hands groping her again, yet by the time she turned fully around she saw the little man through the haze and dust clutching something else that he had removed from her body. She took a moment to fathom what that could be...then reached down with a hand and felt her crotch just to confirm a dark suspicion.

"Oboy," she winced, realizing now why it felt a little drafty.

"Mmmmm..." the demonic little pervert pressed his nose up to her panties, "That's a scent I'd know anywhere...I just knew one day that Soun's little girls would blossom out into three strapping, nice smelling women..."

"H-How...?" Nabiki was about to ask how it was possible for the little man to remove her undergarments without her first taking her clothes off, but instead she yelped as a warning bell flared, and instants later the wall next to her sported a lightsaber beam, one that cut through the masonry and stone as though they were paper.

She jumped back barely in time to see the wall section tumbling down on where she had been standing, and then Darth Purge was standing there in the gap he had created, peering down at her with a particularly reptilian expression.

"Did you forget about me, little human?" the Sith Lord smiled, "Be assured, I haven't forgotten about you..."

"Nabiki!" Ranma cried as he finally recovered his bearings, moving with as much effort as he could to close the space between himself and the short haired girl, his mind suddenly exploding with an image of Purge thrusting his saber straight forward into the girl's abdomen, the blade piercing her through her stomach and boiling her insides with scalding fire, an image that promised a lingering death of the most excruciating variety, and one that he was powerless to prevent.

NO! His mind cried out in protest. NO! Not her! Not this way! Not-!

The blade started to move forward, everything slowing down to a crawl as if time itself were running out of energy, and Ranma saw Nabiki attempting to avoid the thrust, saw the realization that her death could not be easily avoided, and the certain knowledge that all her skills could not save her. Purge was like a dark force of doom personified, and within one second he would turn her into a human shiskabob with no more thought than he might turn towards stepping on an anthill. Ranma felt his own limbs moving as if through molasses, his best efforts meaningless to prevent the tragedy from occurring, at which point his mind rebelled, refusing to accept his helplessness in the face of certain disaster.

Then time started moving again as a blur of motion gripped Purge by the arm and forced his hand down so that the ruby lightsaber speared the earth instead of Nabiki.

"Hey now!" Happosai declared angrily, "That's going way too far, don't you think?"

"What are you doing, fool?" Purge growled, "She is one of them!"

"So she is," Happosai agreed, and all at once Purge found himself airborne, propelled backward as though he had just been slugged in the chest with a sledgehammer, "She also happens to be one of mine! No way am I going to just stand here and let you hurt a pretty girl, especially my own flesh and blood!"

"W-What?" Nabiki blinked in surprise and dismay.

Ranma halted in the act of rushing forward, glancing up as he saw Purge arcing backwards over the wall and beyond, to land rather heavily on the other side of the street where he and Happosai had been fighting.

"Whoah, Gramps...what did you do to him?" Ranma found himself asking.

"Nothing he didn't have coming," Happosai hurrumphed with his arms folded over his tiny chest, "That nerve of that overgrown iguana, trying to take out one of Soun's little girls, and a real prize too boot. I tell you, folks just don't have enough appreciation for beauty in this world, makes me mad just thinking about it..."

"You...you saved my life," Nabiki said in open wonder.

"Aw, don't mention it," the little man turned around and said, "Those were some pretty nice moves before, but I can see you've got a ways to go before you reach your full potential. And you, you young idiot...what were you doing standing there gawking when a pretty girl who likes you's about to be turned into a human pot-roast? You want to be her knight in shining armor, you're gonna have to learn to move a lot faster than that. You were practically crawling your way here, your Dad should have taught you even better."

"I don't get it," Ranma said as he stood there with a hundred questions whirling around inside his head, his hands hanging uselessly at his side as his whole body went numb from delayed shock, "How can you be Pop's Sensei? The old fool never said anything about you..."

"That's not too surprising," Happosai sniffed, "The Saotome Genma I knew was a fat, lazy, quivering coward who'd rather run from a fight rather than stand up and make a name for himself..."

"Whoah!" Ranma's eyes went wide, "You do know Pop!"

"Much to my disgust," Happosai snorted, turning to Nabiki as he added, "And your old man...is he still the whining little crybaby that I remember?"

"More or less," Nabiki responded as the delayed shock of her own near-brush with death started to sink in, then added, "What was that again about my being your flesh and blood?"

"Oh, well..." it was Happosai's turn to glance away, "You know...it's like a big extended family, me, you, your fathers, your mothers...everything. Mind you, I've been locked away in a cave for the last ten years, but I do have ways of keeping in touch with events in the big outside world. I've already paid my respects to your youngest sister...Akane's sure grown up a ways, but where is your other sister, Kasumi? I'll bet she even puts the two of you to shame in the looks department..."

"Hah?" Nabiki blinked.

"That is a very nice thing to say, but I think you may be wrong about that," said a familiar voice that drew stares from all directions, "Akane and Nabiki are very attractive in their own right, and I would hardly categorize us like that..."

"Hah?" Nabiki and Ranma said together, the latter adding, "Whoah...when did you guys show up?"

"We have just arrived," said Trieste, "And from the looks of things a bit late for the action."

"Are you all right, Nabiki?" Kasumi gently wondered, but before her sister could form any reply the little man rocketed forward again, this time aiming himself directly for the oldest Tendo sister.

"HUBBA-HUB-AWK!" Happosai's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt as a hand intercepted his face and blocked him from his intended quarry.

"Do not think me ungrateful that you have rescued one of my charges," Trieste noted matter-of-factly, "But I can hardly allow you to indulge in such rude behavior. My Padawan is a lady, and as such entitled to more dignity than a crude fondle."

"I see," Happosai dropped to his feet and glanced up at Trieste with a speculative expression, "So Soun's oldest girl is under your protection? My, what a looker you are...and not to shabby..."

"Thank you," Trieste replied, "At my age such flattery is well appreciated, but I still must insist that you desist from your unseemly conduct..."

"Oh, a challenge, eh?" the little man grinned, "I'll bet you're quite a lot of fun, and definitely more than a handful..."

All at once he lunged forward again, but Trieste easily dodged him, moving to the side so fast that it almost seemed as if she teleported.

"Well now!" Happosai paused to study the woman before him more shrewdly, "I like a challenge every now and then. It's obvious to me that you're a lot better at a game of tag than any girl I've met so far since my awakening."

"If you consider me so, then I will take it as a compliment," Trieste replied, "But I still cannot permit you to act this way around my charges."

"Heh, you'd have to be a lot better than you are if you think you can make me change my ways" Happosai leered, "Better than you have tried..."

"...And better still have decided to ignore you," yet another surprising voice remarked as two more figures arrived-an old woman and Ryoga-followed closely by the trio of Akane, Shampoo and Ukyo, the latter of whom blinked and looked from Ryoga to the signs of recent battle.

"Elder Cologne?" Kasumi spoke up, "Oh my..."

"Cologne?" Akane turned to look at the old woman.

"Great-Grandmother," Shampoo said brightly, "You have arrived? This one greets you happily, but...what happened to battle?"

"Yeah, that's what I want to know," Ukyo frowned, "Did something happen to the Master-?"

"RANMA, NOW YOU DIE!" Ryoga declared as he rushed forward, only to trip and fall on his face, eating dirt since the staff employed by Cologne had prevented his righteous forward attack.

"Not now, Fool," the old woman scolded, "Honestly, that's the problem with young people these days...no patience at all..."

"Hey, Old Woman," Ranma nodded, "Long time no see, but...what are you doing here in Japan?"

"Tribal business, young Master," Cologne replied, "And a bit of personal business to go on the sides. Well met indeed, Elder Trieste..."

"And you, Matriarch," Trieste nodded, "It is good to set eyes on you again, but I sense that there is some urgency in your sudden arrival?"

"You would be correct in construing this," Cologne assured them, "Even from afar I have had a sense of the looming dangers menacing your house and family, which is why I sent Shampoo on ahead to act as my emissary. Tell me, Little One...how have you been managing your affairs, or should I guess that you've been making friends away from China?"

"This one has had many adventures, Great-Grandmother," Shampoo smiled broadly, "But none so enjoyable as the ones that she has known here in Japan."

"I see," Cologne's ancient eyes briefly rested upon Akane, then she gave Ukyo an even more intense study, "Well met indeed. Now...as for you, Happy..."

"Hah?" Happosai blinked, "Do I know you?"

"You knew me, past tense," the old woman replied without smiling, "It was a very long time ago and I looked...somewhat different back then, but surely you recall a certain village where you plundered priceless artifacts and treasures belonging to the Amazons, including a certain mirror..."

"Mirror?" Happosai blinked, then gasped, "You mean...but...that was three hundred years ago!"

"Three hundred?" Akane repeated with rounded eyes.

"No way can you be Cologne, my long lost love!" Happosai wailed, "Oh, the tragedy of it all! Such beauty wasted! To think that such a young and vibrant thing as you were would become a dried up old monkey-!"

The rap of the old woman's staff over his head temporarily put the old man out of action.

"And just who are you calling a dried up old monkey?" Cologne inquired in a tone barely discernable from a low snarl.

"Now that he had coming," Trieste remarked with a certain hint of amusement.

"Wow," Ranma remarked, "You sure nailed him a good one."

"I have been waiting over three hundred years to do that," Cologne sniffed, "I ought to have landed a good one, I've had practice."

"Oh my," Kasumi looked down at the fallen old man and said, "Was that necessary, Elder?"

"Believe me, Sis," Akane replied, "If you've been groped by the guy, then you wouldn't ask that."

All at once the wall exploded outward at the astonished Jedi, and through the gap Darth Purge strode forth, large as life and twice as intimidating. The chunks of stone and gravel that showered them were easily deflected as Trieste and her wards threw up a protective shield that filtered out all but the larger bits, which in turn were deflected off of Cologne's staff so that no one was injured, though many stood shaken by the unexpected violence of his appearance.

"Forget about me already?" Purge remarked, "I am insulted."

"Not to mention can't take a hint," Ranma growled, balling his fists as his anger was rekindled at the memory of how close he had come to losing Nabiki.

"At ease, Student," Trieste gently reprimanded, "What do you want, Purge? Hasn't there been enough violence?"

"Define enough," Purge responded, turning a narrow gaze at Ukyo and the semi-  
stunned Ryoga.

"Master," Ukyo gulped, "Ah...I can explain..."

"Explain what?" Purge asked in a tone deceptively reasonable, hissing like a serpent, which spoiled the effect completely.

"Ah...what I'm doing...that is..." Ukyo glanced at Akane then Shampoo, then back at Akane.

"Consorting with the enemy," Purge replied, "How disappointing. Haven't I taught you better than that? Is this how you repay me for my teachings?"

"Ah...Master..." Ukyo wilted.

"Don't listen to him, Ukyo," Akane said, "He may have taught you a few things, but he's nobody's Master."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "Very bad...man...he full of cunning and treachery, no can be trusted."

"He's bad news all right," Nabiki concurred, "You can feel the darkness in his aura, the hatred for all life. Someone like that is definitely more inclined to spit at you as look at you."

"Yeah, and he almost hurt Nabiki," Ranma raised his fists and looked ready to go into action.

"I see," Purge mused after a long moment of careful study, "So you would prefer to remain with them for a time. Very well...I will not compel you to return. You are obviously in need of retraining, but the time it would take to reeducate you is too prohibitive. I will not take you back until you are ready to learn from me, and that must come when you decide that you are worthy of my teaching."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What are you talking about?"

"You're just letting her go?" Akane asked.

"Doesn't sound too likely," Nabiki frowned in obvious suspicion.

"Is trick he play," Shampoo insisted, "His word no can be trusted."

"What are you planning here?" Trieste asked, "I find it impossible to believe that even a Sith would abandon his chief apprentice."

"I care not what you suspect of my intentions," Purge responded, "Though the Sith are governed by different rules than you Jedi, we both know full well that you cannot train a student who lacks the motivation of a true apprentice. Charity and mercy are foreign to us, we only forgive the dead and we never forget a slight or a failure. A Sith must prove that he is worthy of the teaching, he must convince his Master that he is a worthy heir. As Kuonji is now she is useless to me, confused in her loyalties. I will not have her back until she is ready."

"And so you will let her go...just like that," Cologne remarked with a neutral expression.

"Just like that," Purge assured them, "Until life and its disappointments teaches her the price of trusting others, or putting her faith in other people. When she learns the true meaning of the Dark side, then she will be a worthy apprentice."

"But...I don't understand," Ukyo asked as her expression went from fearful to bewildered.

"Of course you don't," Purge replied, "Your teaching has centered on the anger and hate generated by memories of this boy...it should hardly surprise anyone that your feelings would change when you meet the real boy and not just the phantom of your memory. Your loyalties to the Dark side of your own nature has been shallow and superficial at best, and this is why your training could never go beyond your current level. You don't really understand the Dark side and what it means to be a Sith, and so you cannot hope to transcend what you are now until you have tasted the darkness that is within you...and only when you have done that will you be prepared to resume your training."

"But..." Ukyo began to say when Purge turned away from her and flicked his tail in a dismissive manner.

"Do not beg," Purge declared, "I will not hear the words of a weakling. Show me you are strong and then I will listen. Until that time you are on your own, when the darkness within you has been tasted in full measure. But...one other thing...Ryoga will remain with you."

"Sensei?" Ryoga looked up with surprise plain in his expression.

"You heard me, Fool," Purge replied, "Stay with Ukyo and show her the darkness that is within you. I think you will serve me best as an instrument for her learning, while I must make do with the fools who remain as my lesser pupils. Consider that my burden to bear while you struggle to master your new lessons."

With that the lizard man raised his hood to cover his scaly head, then turned and left them altogether like the presence of doom whose shadow had just passed them over.

"What the heck was that creep talking about?" Ranma turned to Trieste and said, "Are we just gonna let him walk away like that, Sensei?"

"There would be no point in trying to prevent it," Trieste replied, "Purge is dangerous under any terms, and none of you are ready to go up against him."

"But what did he mean by the darkness within you?" Akane asked Ukyo, "No way are you as dark as he is."

"Is true," Shampoo replied with a shudder, "Dark within lizard man like black spot on sun when eclipse happen. Ukyo no like that."

"No," Ukyo's chin fell as she glanced down, "I'm not as dark as he is...I'm not as strong either. I'm...nothing..."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Trieste remarked with a smile, "He's right about there being a strong streak of darkness within you, but it has not yet swallowed the light of your soul. There is hope for you yet, Kuonji-san, so have faith in your own potential."

"And what about me?" Ryoga glowered sourly, "Why do I have to stay behind and play her nursemaid?"

"Would you rather the task was delegated to someone else, Boy?" Cologne asked him frankly, "Such as either Mousse or Taro?"

"Well...no..." Ryoga reluctantly conceded.

"Hey, what do you mean nursemaid me?" Ukyo scowled, "I don't need you to hold my hand, Ryoga..."

"Yeah," Akane agreed, "Besides, I'd rather do that for you."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN!" Ukyo rounded on her, only to see the perky smile in the other girl's expression, which made her suddenly quite nervous.

"Sensei," Kasumi spoke up, "What are we to do with these two? We can't just turn them out on the street..."

"Yeah, and it's getting awfully crowded in our dojo," Nabiki further noted.

"Then it won't be any trouble for you," Cologne replied, "Then will come to lodge with me. I am setting up an establishment in the Furinkan Financial district and could use the day labor, and this way I will be able to keep watch over them to see that they do not stray further into the Dark so that it swallows them up the way it has done for their master."

"Say what?" Ukyo asked, "What kind of establishment?"

"Why, a restaurant, of course," Cologne replied, "What other kind would make effective use of your skills as a chef, Kuonji-san?"

Ukyo's frown intensified, "And how the heck do you know so much about me? Who the hell are you, Old Woman?"

"She is Kho-Lon the Elder," Shampoo replied, "Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku and this one's great grandmother..."

"Yes," Kasumi agreed, "Elder Cologne is the most powerful of the Elders of the Chinese Amazons. She was kind enough to give us food and lodgings when my Sensei and I paid our respects to her village."

"Chinese Amazons?" Ukyo blinked then looked at Shampoo before saying, "There's a whole village full of people like you?"

"Sensei," Kasumi turned to her Mentor again, "I believe that the Sith have called what amounts to a truce for now, but how long will this continue?"

"However long it takes for them to build back their strength, I suppose," Trieste replied, "Our task is made more complicated by the presence of these other two, but we cannot shirk our duty to see to it that they learn better ways than what the Sith philosophy has taught them."

"Good luck with Ryoga," Ranma said, "But I hope Ucchan will be all right. I...kinda feel responsible for her...if you know what I mean..."

"I'm sure that I don't," Nabiki said, "From what I hear the fault lies with your old man and one of his stupid antics."

"But everything in life has its connection, Imotochan," Kasumi reminded her middle sister, "And Ranma knows this full well as it was his friendship with Kuonji that led her on to expect that something more might develop."

"Hah...you think you can count me out of the picture that easily?" Ukyo glared at the two sisters, looking from them to Ranma without noticing in turn how she was being quietly studied in turn by Ryoga.

"There's something I don't get here," Akane said to Cologne, "How can you be starting up a restaurant? Didn't you just get here from China?"

"I have been making preparations for this move for some time now," Cologne replied, "Which is why I sent Shampoo on ahead of me to scout things out ahead of time and warn me of what was to be expected."

"So how did you get all the way here from China?" Nabiki asked, "Fly on a boat pulled by four swans or something?"

"Something like that," Cologne said in amusement.

"You would be surprised at Elder Cologne's resources, Nabiki," Kasumi assured her sister, "In fact-Oh my!" she glanced down in surprise as she felt something pressing against her chest under her robes.

Trieste frowned as she sensed the sudden shift about her apprentice and said, "Are you awake already? I told you to leave my Padawan alone."

"What?" Ranma and Nabiki said together in chorus.

"Happy...get out of there!" Cologne commanded sharply.

To the surprise of everyone the little man's head popped out from beneath Kasumi's robes and shot back with a nasty, "Hah, like I'd listen to anything you have to say, you old bag of bones you! Besides, I got what I wanted-YOWSA!" and with a chuckle he leaped clear of the girl whom he had just molested clutching a bra in one hand and chortling like madman as the ancient Amazon chased after him waving her staff in his direction.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said in tacit dismay.

"That old Freak is at it again," Ukyo sounded no less appalled.

"The nerve of that old guy!" Akane declared, "Bad enough he tried that with us, but to do it with Kasumi?"

"Huh?" Ryoga looked bewildered, "What did he do to her? Did he...I'll kill him!"

"Get in line, Pig-boy," Ranma snarled as he watched the old woman continue to chase the fleet-footed old hentai.

"Oh my," Kasumi felt herself beneath her robes and seemed to turn an appropriate color of pink around her cheeks, "Does he do that sort of thing often?"

"Frequently," Nabiki's tone dripped sarcasm.

"Man, doesn't that pervert ever give up? Oh crap...!" Ranma started to say when the first few drops of moisture fell upon his head, heralding the return of Nerima's infamous foul weather.

"Great, as if we don't have enough problems," Ukyo grimaced, feeling the tell-  
tale tingle of her curse transforming her back into her Cat-girl form, but much to her surprise the rain abruptly halted, and as she turned to look she was shocked to see an unchanged Ryoga standing beside her holding up his ever-  
present umbrella.

Ranma was not so fortunate and found himself-or rather herself-transformed back into a short, buxom redhead. In disgust she voiced the words that no resident of Nerima would ordinarily dare to utter, "Just great...what else could go wrong now-AWK!"

"YOWZA!" cried Happosai as he hugged himself close to the sex-changing martial artist's bosom, "You never told me you could do this, my Boy! Guess maybe that Genma isn't a complete idiot after all..."

"That is a matter of some debate," Trieste averred as she watched Ranma-chan take off at a run.

"GET HIM OFF OF ME! GETIMOFFAMEEEE!" the little redhead cried wildly.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred.

"You said it," Akane agreed with a sympathetic look at the plight of the normally aggravating redhead, "Maybe we should go over there and help out?"

"Is least we can do," Shampoo agreed, and both girls smiled as though reading each other's minds, then both took off at a run after Ranma.

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, "I suppose we should make plans to accommodate grandfather Happosai..."

"It makes a kind of sense," Trieste agreed, "An old saying of my people holds that one should keep your friends close by and your enemies even closer. Actually I don't know if the Sith came up with that one or if they stole it from us."

"Either way, Sensei," Nabiki mused, "It's sure gotten to be a lot more interesting to live in Nerima."

"There are times when it is like that all over, Sister," Kasumi explained, then frowned as she asked, "Does anyone else feel a draft besides me?"

There were no replies to this save for the gentle rain falling upon down everyone and everything in equal measure...and the collective facefault of both friends and loved ones...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Saturday Serial Adventures: shadowmane

The Sith have retreated for now, but does this mean that all is peace and quiet for the Tendos and their allies? (Are you kidding? This is NERIMA, for Kami's sake!) Watch as Ranma begins his training anew in earnest while Kasumi and Nabiki come to terms with their role as his assistant trainers, and Ukyo finds that ignoring Akane is not as easy as it sounds in: "My Youth is an Arcadia," or, "The Rain in Plain falls Mainly on the Insane!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: angcobra1. All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	18. Chapter 18

Jedi Kasumi18

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Eighteen.  
(Under Seventeen Not Admitted)

A Shard in the Mind's Eye!

WARNING-ADULT LEMONY MATERIAL!  
CONTAINS SCENES OF A HIGHLY SUGGESTIVE NATURE!  
BE WARNED!

Having cut his losses for the moment.  
the dreaded Sith Lord named Dark Purge has left Ukyo and Ryoga in the custody of the Tendos, but the Jedi suspect ulterior motives lay behind this seeming act of generosity on his part...

The Amazon Elder named Cologne of the Joketsuzoku has offered to give shelter to the Sith-  
trained martial artists, and so Ukyo and Ryoga find themselves sharing lodgings with both the Elder and her beauteous great-granddaughter,  
Shampoo, the Amazon Force-Mistress...

Meanwhile Ranma,  
having learned a hard lesson from his previous encounters with the Sith, has resolved to intensify his own training under the Jedi-Sisters,  
Kasumi and Nabiki, who also are contending for the right to be named his future iinazukes...

Meanwhile the junior Force Mistress, Akane Tendo,  
has not forgotten about Ukyo, a girl for whom she is developing strong feelings...

"This is it?" Ukyo asked blandly, "This is the place where you're going to set up your restaurant?"

"I know that it doesn't look like much as yet, Child," Cologne replied, "But with a bit of elbow grease, and some hard work on our part, it should be fit for business before you know it."

"It...doesn't look too bad," Ryoga reluctantly admitted, scanning the darkened interior of the building's main floor, which did seem roomy enough to have lots of places for diners to sit down within in moderate comfort."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said brightly, "This is more than adequate, Great-  
Grandmother...this one would like the chance to explore this new place that you have purchased..."

"You mean you want to pick out a room for yourself, Child," Cologne said in some amusement, "Go right ahead and indulge yourself..."

"Hiyaa!" the purple haired dynamo cried with girlish enthusiasm, vaulting forward with great energy for the stairway near the back, and taking them four steps at a stride she was soon out of sight and up on the second floor before anyone else had time to blink.

"Kinda cheery about this, ain't she?" Ukyo asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"The child has always been open to new experiences and possibilities," Cologne said in dry humor, "And I am rather certain that she is welcoming the excuse to stay close to her friends and oath-sisters in the Tendo clan. Growing up in a small village as she has, I fear she had felt rather limited by her upbringing. The change to a different climate in the big city is no doubt for the better..."

"I wouldn't know about that," Ryoga said listlessly, "To me one place is as good as another..."

"That's because you can never find your way to the same place twice," Ukyo said tiredly, "So...where are we gonna hang our shoes?"

"Wherever you like, though you might decide to argue the point with my great-  
granddaughter," Cologne answered, "I'm sure she would like nothing better than to assign your new quarters to you..."

"Oh no!" Ukyo made a deflecting motion, "I'm not going anywhere near the big-  
boobed sex fiend great-grandkid of yours...she's got grabby hands, and I don't like the way she practically drools on me whenever we're together..."

"Then would you rather accept the hospitality of the Tendos?" Cologne asked in some amusement, "I'm certain that their youngest member would be happy to welcome you into her bedroom..."

"Ah...on second thought," Ukyo blanched.

"What do you mean by grabby hands?" Ryoga asked in obvious confusion.

"Ah-never mind," Ukyo looked away, not wanting to let her fellow Sith Apprentice get a good look at the way her cheeks were flushing crimson.

"Feel free to settle in and make yourselves at home," Cologne called out to them as she pogoed forward on her staff, vanishing behind the counter as she added, "We'll discuss arrangements on how you can best put your own cooking talents to use when we get this restaurant up and running. I assume that you are at least passably competent with cooking your school of okonomiyaki?"

"Hey, I'm at least as good as my Pop ever was," Ukyo frowned, "And you can test me on that if you like..."

"Very well then, I will," Cologne replied, then vanished from the counter as she headed towards the back kitchen part of the restaurant.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Ukyo grumbled half to herself.

"Huh?" Ryoga asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Just speaking out loud," Ukyo sighed, "Come on, let's find a room upstairs before the good ones are all taken...and if that purple haired ditz makes a grab for you, feel free to belt her."

"Uh...all right," Ryoga said dubiously, wondering just why he should be concerned about what some weird girl with funny hair would do since he was reasonable confident that he could take her in a straight fight, if one were to be forthcoming.

"Why do I even bother?" Ukyo murmured faintly as she sensed that her warning was wasted on her fellow Sith student, since Ryoga was more the type to blunder through something without first looking where he was going...which meant-  
around someone like Shampoo-that he was all but asking for trouble, as Ukyo could well testify, remembering a little too vividly how she had been tricked into feeling up the odd, cutesy-talking girl, who seemed ready made like a fantasy dream for some really perverted guy, and yet just as quick to take advantage of a girl as any guy who might want to take his chances, and tough enough as a fighter that she did not have to take no for an answer.

All of which made Ukyo feel strange about accepting hospitality from her withered old great-grandmother. If Shampoo put the moves on Ukyo and she refused her...would that mean risking giving offense to her host? And what exactly was Ukyo to do if Shampoo did press the issue? Hell, Ukyo's record so far to date did not inspire confidence, and if it was not the purple haired girl she had to watch out for in the near future, it was that even more perverted girl, Akane, whose self-professed interest in Ukyo was clearly undiminished...

"I don't get it, Boss," Taro frowned as he studied the low campfire that he was nurturing with some twigs, "Why'd you let them go? I thought for sure you'd at least punish the frail for going soft like that..."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Purge remarked in mild humor, "I am quite certain you would have enjoyed watching me chastise Ukyo for her failure. All the better for you to rise up in the ranks of our little circle, eh?"

"Hey, I'm not saying nothing like that, Boss," Taro hastily reassured the lizard man, "Though, if you want the truth of it, I wouldn't mind doing it myself..."

"You'd never survive the experience," Mousse spoke up, "You try forcing yourself on Ukyo and you know she'd break you in half even in your cursed form."

"Hey, who said anything about me having my way with that She-male Tomboy?" Taro hastily growled, daring the other boy to make something of the implied accusation, "I wouldn't even know which end to stick it in her anyway. You keep your filthy mind to yourself and..."

"Or what, Horn-Head?" Mousse flashed weapons from his sleeves, "You think I'm afraid of anyone with a name like-!"

"That's it!" Taro threw down his stick and rose to his feet, "You're as good as plucked, Duck-boy!"

"Bring it on!" Mousse declared, only to go flying backward as he was struck in the chest with enough force to bruise one or two of his ribs long before he impacted with a nearby tree.

Taro hardly got off any lighter as Purge used his tail to smash the older boy into a nearby boulder, then he stood a moment with the Dark Force within him bristling in his towering anger. He waited to make sure that both boys had sufficiently recovered from their traumatic shock before at least hissing out the words, "Now then...do I have your undivided attention?"

Both young men nodded weakly, so Purge elected to continue.

"Now then," Purge allowed his battle aura to subside, "You will remember that you are both students while I am the Master. Forget that again and I will not be so lenient."

"Guh...yeah...right Boss," Taro winced, feeling his bruises as he attempted to stand upright.

"No problem, Seifu," Mousse grunted.

"Secondly, you will fight only when I tell you to and not before," Purge growled, "I am tired of watching you witless Mammals go off by yourselves to fight your own petty, personal battles when neither one of you is anywhere near to the full potential of your training. Taro...you challenged the one you called Happosai and lost, and in so losing you inadvertently led him to our base camp and risked our exposure."

"Hey, I could've...!" Taro started to protest, saw the gleam in Purge's eyes and immediately thought the better of it.

"You were bested by a superior fighter," Purge resumed, "Your training to date has not yet made you the unstoppable terror that you imagine yourself to be, and as I have fought with this Happosai myself, I well know how strong and resourceful he is, far more than his puny appearance. From now on your training will be intensified as you must take up the banner that Ukyo-at least momentarily-has forfeit..."

"Boss?" Taro blinked.

"And you," Purge gave a sidelong stare at his other apprentice, "You challenged one who is almost a full Jedi Knight and actually managed to wound her slightly. That alone is the reason I have taken you back as an apprentice after your otherwise pathetic showing. There is still some potential in you, but not if you continue to act like a brainless, love-starved hatchling, especially as the one named Kasumi could have easily finished you had it been her intention to fight more aggressively. She was holding herself back out of soft-hearted deference, but you cannot count on such an indulgence in the future."

Mousse glared down at his feet and sulked, "I would have had her anyway...she has no right to stand in the way between me and Shampoo..."

"I thought you wanted to claim both of 'em as prizes?" Taro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Huh?" Mousse blinked, "W-What made you think that? I thought..."

"Never mind what you thought, Boy," Purge scornfully dismissed, "The point is that you will not go off on your own again and risk further humiliation. You will only fight when I tell you that you are ready, and only when I judge that you can hold your own in a battle without stumbling or losing sight of your real opponents."

"I haven't lost sight of my goals, Master," Mousse reassured his "Seifu."

"Yeah," Taro agreed, "He ain't like Ryoga, who loses his way to the bathroom, he just loses his glasses, then mistakes a tree for his sparring partner..."

"That's enough," Purge said as he saw the two boys glower hatefully at one another, inwardly smiling as such intense feeling was exactly what he wanted to provide proper spark and motivation to their training, "Until such time as Hibiki and Kuonji return to our fold, you two will conduct yourselves as proper Sith or be punished for failing the high standards that I have set for you both..."

"Huh?" Taro said.

"What do you mean...until they return to us?" Mousse blinked.

"I said that I have merely released them for a time," Purge clarified, "They are not dismissed from our ranks entirely, merely...given a sabbatical to renew their kinship with the Dark side."

"Renewed it?" Taro repeated, "But didn't you just turn 'em over without a fight to the Jedi?"

"Won't the Jedi be working to undo the effects of your training, Seifu?" Mousse wondered.

"I have no doubt that they will try to teach them the ways of the Light side of the force," Purge replied, "And only time will tell if they truly can be turned or not, but I am betting that the darkness in both of their hearts will prove stronger than the maudlin sentimentality that has been holding them back in their training. Ukyo has been reluctant to turn her rage outside of the box in which she has tightly focused all of her feelings of betrayal and desertion, and the same is true-to a lesser extent-for Ryoga. They are not truly Sith as yet, they still are plagued with irrational moments of integrity and compassion. I am hoping that direct exposure to the Jedi will convince them of the foolishness of such weak and febrile thinking..."

"But what if it has the opposite effect and turns them nice?" Taro wondered.

"Then...there is an old saying concerning such matters," Purge smiled, "If you catch a wild thing and hold onto it, it's yours. If you let it go and it comes back to you, then it belongs to you forever. If it never does return...then hunt it down and kill it."

"Oh...I get it," Mousse said with a much-surprised expression.

"Pretty smooth move, Boss," Taro actually sounded impressed, "But...just in case Kuonji doesn't come back willingly..."

"Then we will discuss methods by which you may teach her the folly of her ways," Purge remarked with all the subtle charm of a snake hidden in the bushes, waiting to strike at its intended victims, and at the sight of that his two human proteges felt an understandable shudder, feeling a collective sense of pity turned towards their absent colleagues...for all of the time it took to be replaced by a gleeful sense of opportunity in gaining more advanced training to rise above them...

"A hundred yen for your thoughts, Ranma-kun," Nabiki teased.

"Huh?" he said, "Oh...ah...well..." he glanced at the short haired girl beside him as they walked through the schoolyard gates together, "Guess maybe I'm just being jumpy, but I'm half expecting to see the usual horde of hentai come charging down at us. After all the excitement yesterday..."

"Yes, I know exactly what you mean," Nabiki agreed, "After fighting against the Sith it does feel odd doing something fairly normal like go to school in the morning. I can hardly believe the way the last two weeks have been going..."

"Heh, tell me about it," Ranma softly grunted, "Well, unless that Kuno guy is looking to cause trouble, it looks like we may get to classes on time for once and..."

"Don't say that, you'll jinx it!" Akane urged, "Can't we just have a nice, normal morning for once without anyone tempting the fates to cause a little excitement?"

"Huh?" Ranma glanced at the more annoying of the two Tendo sisters, "You looking for peace and quiet, Tendo? Thought you were the type who looked for trouble..."

"Go off in a corner and die, Saotome," Akane said sweetly, "Just because I like to have some fun doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a day of rest like anyone else. And besides...I was hoping to meet Shampoo and Ucchan, they said they'd be here today, and I was hoping to see if she'd dress in a girl's uniform or the boy's..."

"You really are hung up on that Sith-trained cross-dresser, huh Sis?" Nabiki asked, "What do you see in her anyway? I mean...I know she's pretty and all that, but I can't forget that she buried one of those throwing spatulas of hers in my shoulder shortly after we first met..."

"Yes, but at the time she considered you her rival," Akane countered, "And she was under Darth Purge's influence, so give her a chance, Nabiki...give her enough time and she'll surprise you."

"I'm not sure I can survive many more surprises around her," Nabiki frowned, "And I'm sure she hasn't given up on Ranma-kun just yet, so as far as I'm concerned the rivalry is still in effect..."

"Did you say rivalry?" someone said from directly over their heads, causing Ranma and the others to look up with a start as a figure came plunging out of the nearest tree, alighting with athletic poise and striking a pose as if to display herself off before Ranma.

"Huh?" Ranma did not relax his automatic posture of defense, but he stared at the dark haired, pony-tailed girl standing before him wearing a green leotard and said, "Who...?"

"Kodachi," Nabiki spoke the word with obvious wariness in her tone, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see for myself this striking example of manhood who seems to have so vexed my brother of late," the dark haired girl said in a lilting tone that displayed a fairly aristocratic accent, "And to see if the rumor is true or not that you have finally found yourself a boyfriend, Nabiki-chan."

"Nabiki-chan?" Ranma repeated.

Nabiki relaxed a little and said, "Ranma-kun, this is a...friend of mine from middle school, named Kuno Kodachi..."

"Kuno...Kodachi?" Ranma's eyes got round in amazement.

"Yes," the dark haired girl flashed an amused look that set her purple eyes to flashing, "I am indeed the younger sister to Kuno Tatewaki, whom you have obviously met, and no, I do not share his peculiar obsession for stirring up trouble whenever he likes. I am here as a friendly observer, and I can see for myself that you are indeed a rather interesting package, albeit rather common of speech and rough around the edges."

Ranma relaxed a little and said, "Ah...well...I'm Saotome Ranma..."

"Yes you are," Kodachi curled the words over her tongue as if savoring them, even as her eyes seemed to look him up and down with speculation.

"Kodachi..." Nabiki growled.

"Oh relax, I am not here to poach on your clearly marked out territory," Kodachi grinned in a mischievous manner, "Although I will admit that there is temptation in the idea...after all, one does not find such a specimen of manhood everyday in these parts..."

Ranma had not been aware of it until now, but Akane had been unusually silent, even taking a position behind Nabiki as if to hide in her sister's shadow. Now, however, she chose to step into full view, smiling with a leer that matched the one that Kodachi was turning on Ranma, and then in her most sultry tone she said, "Hello Kodachi..."

The effect on the dark haired girl was striking. All at once Kodachi's eyes got very round and she took a half-self-conscious backstep away, saying in a voice slightly pitched higher than before, "Oh...A-Akane...oh my...I didn't see you standing there..."

"What've you been doing with yourself lately?" Akane purred, "Love your hair...you still work out doing gymnastics?"

"Ah, yes, well..." Kodachi backed further away, "I'm still team captain, but now that you mention it, I need to head over to school, I have my limousine double-  
parked and all that. Can't be late, so...goodbye now!"

With that she produced a stick with a ribbon attached to it, then swung it high to catch an overhead branch and used it to swing away, vaulting over the nearby fence with such fluid grace and haste of motion that Ranma was left blinking.

"Ah..." he said aloud, "What just happened?"

"Believe me, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said, "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

"Try me," Ranma said blandly.

"She didn't have to leave like that," Akane pouted, "We could have talked a bit and caught up on stuff together..."

Nabiki glanced at her sister then leaned closer to Ranma, "You'd have to know Kuno Kodachi like I do to know what she's really like. On the surface she's all refined and lady-like, but in reality she shares many of the more...disturbing tendencies of her older brother, Tatewaki, including an obsession with being the best at Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics..."

"Martial arts what?" Ranma blinked.

"It's Kodachi's specialty," Akane answered, "Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, a combination of acrobatics and weapons use fought in an arena where the object is to force your opponent out of the ring without physically touching her. Of course, I tend to be more of a hands-on kind of person..."

"Any-way," Nabiki drawled, "Kodachi has trained under her mother for years, but she's never quite gotten a handle on completely mastering the Force the way my sisters and me have done. Like her brother she's only learned to harness a mere fraction of her potential, but that tended to make her impatient and caused her to take short-cuts. Without her mother's knowledge she started ambushing rival teams before her matches, thus winning by default when she might have risked losing..."

"What, she cheated?" Ranma reacted with disgust.

"For a time anyway," Nabiki sighed, "Then she made a really big mistake and went after the Furinkan team, took our three best competitors and whipped them so bad that they had to drop out and choose an alternate...and three guesses who they asked to take up the banner of becoming our school champion?"

"Uh...you?" Ranma asked.

"Guess again," Akane chimed, "After all, I am the best athlete in our school, so who better to stand up and be counted?"

"What, a clumsy girl like you?" Ranma replied, "Fight a match that requires skill in acrobatics?"

"Dry up and blow away, Saotome," Akane glowered, "I did all right, even won the match..."

"That you did," Nabiki confirmed, "Of course it helped a lot that Kodachi made the mistake of targeting you the way she did, laying in ambush for you in your own bedroom."

"She what?" Ranma's eyes goggled.

"Hey, it wasn't that bad," Akane protested, "In fact I couldn't have planned it better if I'd given her an open invitation. I mean...imagine if you went to bed feeling tired from a hard workout, trying to master the basics of rhythmic gymnastics weapons combat, only as I lay down on my back I get a sense that I'm not alone, that someone is trying to mask their presence, so I open my eyes and look up and-guess what I see hanging there above me...a beautiful girl with a black rose clenched between her teeth and wearing nothing but a green leotard, and about my own age to boot..."

"You mean she attacked you?" Ranma blinked.

"Biggest mistake she ever made," Nabiki sniffed, "Akane turned the tables on her by catching her in her bedsheets, then knocked her cold with the club she intended for Akane. And that's just the start of what happened...a night Kodachi to date has never had the nerve to tell me about in any detail."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked again, "Ah...what happened?"

"Let's just say that 'Dachi had to borrow one of my dresses to get home the next morning," Akane leered, "Her leotard got...kind of torn up by me to make strips that I used to tie her down to my bed and...you don't really want to hear the details on this, do you, Saotome?"

"Ah..." Ranma turned a questioning look towards Nabiki.

"Trust me," the older girl said, "You are definitely better off not hearing those details."

"Ah...so...after that, Kodachi left you alone?" Ranma blandly wondered.

"She's been avoiding me," Akane pouted, "I mean, is that fair? She tried to ambush me and scare me off from our match, so what if I took advantage of the situation? A pretty girl drops into my bed in the middle of the night, what am I supposed to think, huh?"

"Personally, Sis, I think she's afraid of being alone with you," Nabiki said in droll humor, "She's even been avoiding me, which is guilt by association. I think she's heavily in denial about what happened, you could see it in the way she fought during your match, like she was afraid of letting her guard down..."

"I don't see why," Akane huffed, "I only want to play with her some more, it's not like we did anything so traumatic..."

"What means traumatic?" a familiar voice inquired.

"Shampoo?" Ranma turned around in time to see the trio that was approaching, headed by the purple haired Amazon in question.

"Nihao Ranma!" Shampoo cheerfully called out, "And Akane...is this one's honored sister enjoying the morning?"

"I sure am now," Akane brightened as she looked warmly upon the other girl, then turned an even more delighted stare at the right off to Shampoo's right and said, "Ucchan...nice to see you again."

"Urk..." Ukyo checked her forward motion by a half-step upon being greeted by the other girl, and the predatory smile on the dark haired girl's lips was hardly reassuring.

"Ranma," the growled greeting by Ryoga was as chilling as Shampoo's smile was sunny, and the way he balled his fists showed that he was barely restraining the impulse to start something on the spot, which caused Ranma to shift his focus away from the baffling behavior of the women towards the far more familiar territory of potential martial arts mayhem.

"Hi Pig," Ranma scowled back, "What are you doing here? Get lost looking for the bathroom?"

The lost boy bristled and seemed ready to start something when Nabiki intervened, saying, "That's enough, Ranma-kun. Don't provoke him or we'll be late for our classes. Shampoo...I take it that there's a good reason why you brought these two here?"

"This one is following the instructions of her great-grandmother," Shampoo replied, "As Ukyo is already enrolled here, this one has been told to accompany her, and to bring Hibiki so that she might keep an eye on both of them and see they keep out of mischief. Great-grandmother is busy setting up the restaurant and will be preoccupied for most of the day. This one also confesses curiosity to learn what they consider worthy of teaching here in Japan. May Shampoo accompany her little Brother and sisters to your class after she has spoken to the one who is in charge of admissions?"

"Oh, sure," Ranma replied, "Be glad to have you around...be interesting at the very least..."

"I suppose that is one way of putting it," Nabiki noted dryly, still eyeing the Amazon and Ukyo with wary appraisal, but not viewing them as enemies so much as potential rivals.

"Great!" Akane said cheerfully, "You guys can sit next to me, I'd love to show you around and give you a grand tour of the place."

"I'll just bet you would," Ukyo grumbled with a particularly sour expression, silently resolving not to go anywhere with either of the two amorous Force Masters that might leave them alone with her for more than a minute.

"Hey, Ryoga," Ranma said with a nod to the glowering Lost Boy, "Be just like old times with you around, huh?"

"Shut up, Ranma," Ryoga balled his hands into fists again, "Because of you I haven't even been inside a school room in close to two years..."

"Because of me?" Ranma blinked, "Hey, wait a minute, how do you figure that? I didn't ask you to follow me and get lost, you did that all on your own..."

"That's it, Ranma!" Ryoga cried as he drew back a fist, "Now you die!"

His hand started to move forward, but all at once Nabiki thrust herself into the path of the oncoming haymaker and raised a hand of her own, calling up her own power to catch and repel the angry fist while dispelling the negative Force energies that backed it. She then began humming in an oddly sing-song, trilling tune before thrusting two fingers of her right hand forward, reaching out to touch the astonished Ryoga on the forehead right between his brows, which caused him to sag slightly as his face drained instantly of all emotion.

"Now be a good boy and don't cause any more trouble," Nabiki instructed in a confident tone that was oddly compelling.

"Yes..." Ryoga responded automatically, as if he had just been turned into an obedient robot.

"Whoah," Ranma said, "What did you do to the guy?"

"Just a little trick I learned to do from watching Oneechan," Nabiki replied, "It's like auto-suggestion. The one part of the technique dispels the anger and negativity that's fueling an attack, then the second part renders him highly suggestible and openly receptive to outside instructions..."

"In other words Force can have strong influence on weak minded people," Shampoo happily translated, "And stupid Pig-Boy is most suggestible one that this one know about."

"You got that right," Akane said, "From what I can see he commands the Force on a purely emotional level, but he's not really in charge of it, it's more like he's a slave to his own emotions."

"It figures," Ukyo scowled, "That Baka always was like a wild boar in a China shop, especially during training. But don't think a little mind trick like that's gonna work against me..."

"I wouldn't think of it," Nabiki smiled blandly, "For you I'd reserve my more advanced techniques."

As Ukyo was chewing that one over one of Akane's friends called out to them, "Hey, Akane...what are you guys standing around for? You're gonna be late!"

"Right Sayuri," Akane acknowledged, making a point of taking Ukyo by the arm and drawing her forward, "Come on, Ucchan...I assume you like sitting by the window?"

"H-Hey!" Ukyo protested as she sought to free her arm without much success, leading to many passing students favoring them with curious and speculative glances.

"Shampoo think that this one should find office first," Shampoo said as she took Ryoga by an unresisting arm and smiled, "Which way for admission?"

"Oh, no problem," Nabiki said and promptly waved to a passing student, "Ryo-  
chan...mind if I call in a favor?"

"Sempai?" the brown haired girl said brightly, then immediately assented to the assignment.

As Shampoo dutifully dragged Ryoga along after Nabiki's curly haired assistant, Ranma found himself alone once again in the presence of Nabiki, who made a point of walking him towards his morning classes.

"Ah..." Ranma looked for a safely neutral topic as he studied his companion's profile then said, "Mind showing me how you did that trick sometime?"

"Be glad to, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smiled a sultry smile that raised more than a few eyebrows from those Furinkan students whom they passed in the hallways, "Just remember...sometimes a kind word is better than a fist in ending a conversation. You really must do better about needlessly provoking Hibiki. He may be a few bricks short of a full wall but he's a blunt and blundering force of mindless destruction when you get him aroused, and the last thing this school can afford is effect repairs from you two going at it in the hallways."

"Ah...yeah, well..." Ranma forced himself to look forward, feeling strange about the presence of her hand upon his arm, "...I've...never run from a fight, and most of my training's been about standing up to challenges and stuff..."

"Yes, and your father taught you to use insults as a weapon," Nabiki noted, "I'll admit that the tactic of provoking your enemies into a state of rash anger can be highly effective in most cases, but when it comes to someone who can suck up as much damage as that Ryoga, I'd think a better tactic would employ more discretion on your part, and besides...anger is definitely the way of the Dark side."

"I'll try and keep that in mind, Nabiki," Ranma said, then paused before adding, "Thanks."

"Oh?" she cocked an eyebrow, "For what?"

"Ah...y'know...for everything," Ranma said uneasily, "You've put up with a lotta stuff on account of me, and...and I wanted you to know..."

"Hey, friends stand up for each other and sometimes share the same problems, right?" Nabiki replied, adding after a brief pause, "And so do iinazuke."

Ranma found words beyond this point utterly failed him as the enormity of that statement began to settle in, leaving him strangely confused and yet somehow feeling an enormous closeness to the girl walking beside him, who in many ways confused and vexed him and yet also made him feel strange inside just being near her. He was not certain what any of this had to do with furthering his training, but he did know for certain that he was starting to like it...

Unknown to him, or even to Nabiki, one figure in the hallway was studying their passage with more than a passing curiosity to his expression. Kuno Tatewaki would have denied that he was spying on the boy and his budding relationship with the Tendo mercenary, but he had to confess that there were mysteries surrounding this Saotome Ranma that intrigued him. For a young man who prided himself as a fighter it was a novelty to encounter one whom he sensed had a potential far greater than any other prospective opponent, and while they might not be rivals seeking after the same romantic pursuits (in truth he rather pitied the boy for his puppy-dog infatuation with someone as coldly heartless as Nabiki) there was every prospect that they would come into direct conflict in the very near future.

"Sasuke," he murmured aloud.

All at once the little ninja appeared from behind a set of lockers, "Yes, Master Kuno?"

"Follow Saotome Ranma and observe his affairs discretely," Tatewaki instructed, "My twisted sister, Kodachi, appears to have taken an interest in the peasant, and besides...there is something else about him that I sense bears for a closer observation."

"It shall be as you command, Master Kuno," Sasuke bowed at once and faded back into the shadows.

Kuno smiled then ran his fingers through his hair as he mused aloud, "Truly such a one as I do not have rivals as such, but I fear that my poor sister may be overmatched if she makes a rival of her former friend, Tendo Nabiki. Alas, the one whose fair hand I wish to claim has moved on beyond her senior year, but one day soon I shall come visit you, my lovely Kasumi, and on that day you will know that Kuno Tatewaki is a warrior well worthy of your affections..."

And-elsewhere in Nerima at that moment-a certain older girl was meditating felt a slight ripple disturbing the rhythms of her thoughts, but tried to dismiss it as it did not mesh in well with the air of melancholy that was presently affecting her meditations...

Kasumi sighed, feeling strangely wistful. Of late she had been feeling that way a lot, as if the absence of her recent charge, Saotome Ranma, were affecting her peace of mind far more than she would have ever imagined.

"Try not thinking about it, Padawan," Trieste gently urged as the two of them sat side-by-side in meditation, "Your emotions are a natural part of you, but they can be distracting if you let them destroy the harmony of your mind and body."

Kasumi silently nodded to this then mentally projected, **I apologize, Mistress...I know that it is important to always stay in the center of our being...**

**We live within the center of all creation,** Trieste mentally replied, **Our every action, however trivial, must flow from within our very being. Remember that we are luminous beings of energy, not the crude matter that comprises our bodies. We must breathe the Force and flow with the tides that churn all around us. Feel the sun and the moon in their orbits, the harmony of the planetary bodies that circle the star that forms the center of the System, and know that we all orbit the galactic hub at the center of this galaxy. The Force is limitless and without measure, and as we are a part of all things, so too are we connected to the wonder of all creation.**

**I well remember this, Mistress,** Kasumi answered, **I feel the Force flowing through all things, and I find my heart is still not centered. I yearn...I have feelings...I do not fully understand them...**

**I would be rather amazed if you did,** Trieste mused with inward humor, **For you would be the first humanoid that I have ever known to fully comprehend the mysteries of men and women and how they respond to one another. You feel for this young man, yet you are afraid of approaching him because he is such a raw, untamed enigma, very much worthy of his namesake...**

**That is a part of it, yes,** Kasumi admitted, **But more than that...there is also my sister...**

**Yes,** Trieste sighed, **Nabiki has been surprisingly bold in setting down her claim early, has she not? And without meaning to the both of you have become rivals for Saotome Ranma's attention...**

Kasumi gave an inward sigh and said, **I love Nabiki dearly, and I should be happy for her that she has found a man who can make her happy. I would not wish the world of ill upon her and the joy that being with Ranma so clearly brings into her life, but...**

**But your own emotions refused to be compartmentalized or dismissed,** Trieste divined for her, **The attraction you feel towards him is too strong, you cannot resist falling into his orbit, even if that puts you at odds with your own dear sister. A classic dilemma, really...two loves in conflict, the heart telling you one thing, your head telling you another.**

**Please,** Kasumi urged, **Instruct me. How am I to conduct myself when my own heart tells me that I must be with him, no matter the consequences?**

**I cannot advise you on the correct path that you must take, Child,** Trieste gently informed her apprentice, **But I can tell you that matters are not so bleak as you may imagine. There are always...possibilities to be explored, and you should remain open to considering other way in which you and Nabiki might resolve this dilemma.**

**Oh?** Kasumi asked, **How so?**

**For one thing,** Trieste replied, **The fact that you do love each other as sisters means that there is no automatic conflict for you sharing the same house together. Japan today may frown on relations taking place between more than two persons, but in the past your country had traditions that allowed for women to share the same man in all domestic relations. That is certainly one option to be considered, and I would strongly urge you not to dismiss it without due considerations.**

Kasumi was silent as she mentally thought that over, then projected the thoughts, **You mean...share Ranma-kun? Is such a thing even possible, Mistress?**

**For both your sakes I most certainly hope that it is,** Trieste answered, **I have spoken on this subject with your mother, and as you know we are very...close to one another...just as we are both close to your father...and for us it has been a most...satisfying arrangement.**

Kasumi thought longer on that one before she said, **But would Nabiki agree to such a thing?**

**You would have to ask her, Child,** Trieste mused softly, **But I confess that I would like to see her reaction to the thought of claiming you for a co-wife. Legally only one of you could marry him in public, but what matters is that you love each other and keep the truth of your relationship within your heart. Where I come from there are a great many cultures that have civilized the process and ritualized it in great detail, and I could describe some of their marital practices to you sometime so that you may decide if it is the path you wish to pursue...**

All at once Kasumi became aware that there was something wrong in her environment, something more than a bit off, which was disturbing her Wa as she went from a meditative trance to full awareness of her own body. Very slowly she opened her eyes and looked down, finding that her sash had been undone and that her chest was now exposed with the small, withered form of Happosai pressing in to fondle her naked breasts while clutching her brazier tightly to his own tiny bosom.

The flash of a lightsaber startled her, then all at once the intense beam of Trieste's weapon sliced the air very near to Kasumi. Happosai wisely let go of his coveted perch and darted back out of reach, grinning wickedly as he taunted the Jedi with a lecherous, "HAH! Too slow by half! You'll have to move faster than that if you intend to keep me at bay, you old Witch!"

With that he skipped merrily away, taking Kasumi's brazier with him.

"Disgusting, perverted old jawa," Kasumi heard Trieste grumble under her breath before releasing her anger and allowing her self-control to reassert herself, "Mark me well, there is a Demon inside that one, and while he may seem fairly harmless, his obsessions darken this family's fortune even worse than the Sith ever did. Oh...and Kasumi-chan, I think you had better tie up your sash."

Kasumi glanced down at herself with mild surprise, then hastily did as her mentor instructed with a faintly murmured, "Oh my..." as her cheeks became more rosy.

"Now then," Trieste said as she put away her lightsaber, "As I was saying, you may consider raising the issue with Nabiki directly rather than allow the matter to fester unspoken. The longer this goes on without being resolved, the harder it will be for the both of you to come to any sort of peaceful resolution, and believe me, most people can be driven to the Dark side by the negative emotions raised by unrequited love than by any deliberate act of evil."

"I will try and remember this, Sensei," Kasumi acknowledged, wondering why she had this very odd sense that the matter of their impending relationships would be even more complicated than she or her mentor could suspect in the present...

Ukyo grunted as she tried to escape from her present circumstances, but she was overpowered and too off-balanced to put up much resistance to her formidable opponent. She blamed it on herself for allowing a moment of carelessness to provide the opportunity they needed, but her two assailants had been quick to press their advantage, and for all that she might have seen this coming, Ukyo still found herself at their mercy before she could offer even token protest.

It had all begun around recess time, when everyone in their class was dismissed into the schoolyard to enjoy their lunch and refreshments. Shampoo and Akane had at once tried to press on Ukyo their desire to share lunch with her, but she had quickly dismissed the notion and insisted that she could fare well for herself without their supervision.

Besides, those two had Ryoga to keep an eye upon since the boy tended to get lost at the first opportunity, so while her fellow Sith colleague was running interference she had skipped out on her two-girl mutual admiration club and sought to find Ranma and Nabiki, the former to cosset out, the latter to annoy as much as humanly possible.

Unfortunately for her she had taken a wrong turn and found herself wandering behind the gymnasium, where she found not Ranma but an entirely different set of Furinkan students.

Instinctively she had sensed the Wolf Pack closing on around her without giving off the least hint that she was in any real danger. She marked around about two dozen young boys, most in school uniforms though a few wore the athletic gear of their various clubs. She sized them up and then dismissed them out of hand as being beneath serious attention, then turned her gaze towards the one whom she sensed was the true threat in this encounter, the tall boy known only as Kuno Tatewaki.

"What's up, Sugar?" Ukyo asked of the Hakata-clad Kendoist.

"Kuonji Ukyo," Tatewaki smiled, "We meet again. I trust you remember our previous conversation?"

"Yeah?" Ukyo asked matter-of-factly, "What about it, Sugar?"

"I gave you fair warning of what would occur if you were to give challenge to my fair flower, Kasumi," Tatewaki replied, "And I hear that you have caught the fascination of the sweet Akane, so it seems that we have issues to resolve here, you and I."

"Yeah?" Ukyo asked, "And what about these guys?"

"These are but a few of those who have admired Tendo Akane from afar," Tatewaki barely acknowledged the other boys presence, clearly viewing them as socially beneath him, "A few of them have sparred with her regularly during her morning practice sessions. They have expressed a great deal of concern and resentment concerning a new student on our campus who appears to have made greater progress with her than any other. I have tried to dissuade them from seeking to confront you on this directly, but...well...you understand how some things are, I trust. After all, when a handsome boy puts the moves on a popular girl..."

"HEY!" Ukyo snapped, surprised to be called a "boy" by the older student, especially in light of the fact that Tatewaki knew full well what her true sex was, regardless of how she was presently dressed.

"...It's only natural that some would care to test you out to determine if you are worthy," Kuno continued with an arrogant smile as if not interrupted.

"Sugar," Ukyo growled, "If you think any of these clowns is a match for me, you've got another think coming."

"Maybe not individually," Kuno mused, "But together, they might still prove capable and lucky, At either rate it should make for a most amusing encounter."

Ukyo's battle senses alerted her to the looming menaces of the boys presently ringing all about her, and instinctively she realized that most were not even aware of her true gender, being under the delusion that she was a boy, a misconception that clearly Tatewaki was encouraging by his carefully worded taunting.

Of course she did not perceive any of these boys to be a serious problem, not even collectively as she unslung her combat spatula and extended her senses with the Force in all directions. She could *feel* the position of each and every one of these less formidable boys, but the Force was strongest around Tatewaki, and that tended to drown out a lot of the lesser battle auras, which confused her senses more than slightly.

Nonetheless she felt confident of her ability to withstand this horde of wannabe-Akane-lovers, but with her mind of the fight she failed to sense the presence of two observers standing atop the gymnasium looking down with evident disapproval.

"Damn, I should have known Tatewaki would pull a stunt like this," Akane fretted, "It's the same crap he's used on me, letting the horde wear me down to improve his odds against me."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked, "Spatula girl against so many boys who want conquer her, is almost like Amazon challenge back home when girl want select strongest male in village."

"You mean you actually let them fight you in groups?" Akane asked.

"Is no same as challenge match," Shampoo assured her, "No prize if win, but if warrior decide one boy good enough to make husband then she can pick him even if lose. You no think we only marry mens who are stronger?"

"Makes sense," Akane shrugged, smiling as she added, "But I like your tradition that lets two girls marry even better. C'mon, let's go down there and give Ucchan a hand..."

"No so fast," Shampoo urged, "Is too soon interfere, let Spatula girl decide if she need rescue..."

The horde, meanwhile, attacked Ukyo, who fought back automatically, employing her favorite weapon to knock four boys out cold before the rest even had time to close on her position. With a speed and strength that vastly exceeded the fighting prowess of the other boys she set to work methodically demolishing their attacks, laying waste to their offensives and crushing their puny attempts to work in tandem to overpower her by weight of numbers. With kick and punch she added to the devastation, laying boys out like clockwork and whittling down their numbers before they even realized just how badly outmatched they were pitting their puny talents against her Sith battle skills.

"She's good," Akane said appreciatively, "Even better than me..."

"She has good control of power, speed and strength," Shampoo noted, "And the Force flows through her motions, allowing her to detect patterns and counter them, but still she not have total control over battle. See how confident stick boy is? He no mind that minions losing."

"That's because he's confident that he'll be able to take her," Akane sniffed sourly, "But I think he's way out of his league with her since I could easily take him..."

"But that not real problem," Shampoo warned as she frowned in concern, sensing a moment of crisis, "This one thinks Spatula girl leave opening she no intended..."

Indeed, Ukyo had been careless, for while she was clearly the Mistress of this battle, she had gotten overconfident, expecting all of her opponents to be as easy to defeat as had the ones who had rushed forth early on and gotten swatted. The more cautious and skilled fighters were the ones who held back and looked for an opening, and one now lunged in as she finished off the Sumo wrestler, his fencing foil-a blunt-tipped object with a metal edge-cutting through the buttons on her outfit as she instinctively moved to dodge the thrust, only to that find her shirt was now opening up around the front. At the same time as this realization was being impressed upon her, yet another foe-a wrestler-  
took advantage of her slight hesitation to throw his arms around her and attempt to grip her in a full Nelson.

Ukyo countered this with an automatic elbow-slam to his stomach, but as the larger boy went staggering away he kept his grip upon her shirt, tearing it away from her body before Ukyo had time enough to stop him.

"What the...?" one of the boys nearest to her gasped in surprise as those still conscious enough to do so ogled in amazement at the exposed Ukyo, who belatedly discovered that her wrap had also been a casualty of the fencer.

"Hah?" Ukyo froze as she felt a draft all around her, then looked down with rounded eyes as her wrap fell away, leaving her totally exposed from the waist up to the full view of all the boys currently present.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo murmured faintly.

"You said it," Akane agreed in awe and amazement.

Tatewaki himself was staring with eyes as large as saucers, not having anticipated such a development as his intentions so far had been merely to gauge the fighting strength of the crossdressing girl, not leave her open to such total exposure.

"Hey!" one of the more observant boys said, pointing at the obvious evidence sporting from Ukyo's magnificent chest, "It's a girl!"

"A girl?" another boy stupidly remarked, "No way! Are those things real?"

"Look real enough to me," said yet another potential Einstein, "But...I thought Ukyo was a guy..."

"Yeah...what gives here?" a forth walking victim-to-be wondered aloud, "You think she might be one of those She-male hermaphrodites or something?"

"Could be," said another prospective glutton for punishment, "Think maybe she's got a cock between her legs?"

"Maybe we should check," proposed yet another would-be kamikaze

Ukyo had heard enough about that point, her shock, surprise and humiliation giving way to the familiar, comforting sensation of rage, which built up within her and soon surrounded her with a towering battle aura that magnified her presence tenfold and made those boys nearest to her give back a step in dreadful anticipation.

"YOU-JACKASS!" Ukyo cried, and slammed her combat spatula down at the ground with force enough to cause a massive explosion of dirt and kinetic energy in all directions.

"Whoah!" Akane cried as she and Shampoo both threw up mental shields to deflect the chunks of dirt and gravel that flew in all directions.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo murmured as the shrapnel subsided and the cloud that formed around Ukyo gave way to one heavy-breathing semi-nude chef who presently stood at the bottom of a crater that she herself had created, everything within a five meter radius having been thrown about in all directions.

"YOU-!" Ukyo raised her bakers peel again as she saw a single figure still standing amid the rubble, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU-!"

"Wait, I did not intend for things to go this far!" Tatewaki protested.

"That's too bad," Ukyo cried as she lunged forward in a strike, "BECAUSE I'M STILL GONNA KILL YOUR ASS!"

Tatewaki-although surprised at the suddenness of the enraged girl's attack-  
was still quick enough to employ his bokken as he deflected her attack and easily side-stepped her. They broke apart and turned to face one another, Ukyo not even pausing to take stock of her foe as she laid out with slash after slash with her weapon, forcing Kuno to give ground as he used his bokken to turn aside her attacks while looking for an opening, which same Ukyo-in her reckless state of mind-soon provided.

A single pass and Kuno stepped away as Ukyo staggered and went down on one knee, sporting a bruise along the side of her right kidneys as Kuno assumed a pose of defense and held his ground rather than press home his advantage.

"I bid you to calm yourself, Kuonji-san," Kuno urged, "Your rash state of mind is making you heedless of the danger..."

"Get stuffed!" Ukyo snarled, feeling her side as she forced herself to stand, leaning heavily on her baker's peel as she sought to overcome the shooting pains passing through her body.

"I salute your courage, but you cannot continue," Tatewaki said, "In your state you would be no challenge at all for me, and I wish to face you when you are at your best to test your real potential..."

"You don't even know what my potential is, Asshole!" Ukyo glared while clenching her teeth, "You think I'm beat just because I'm a little winded?"

Once again she tapped into the Force, allowing her own negative emotions to churn and amplify her rage, to transform it into a weapon that she could use to swat down the annoying pervert who had staged this whole fiasco that had led to her denuding.

From where they stood Akane and Shampoo saw the towering black flame of Ukyo's anger and were understandably appalled, never having suspected the cross-  
dressing girl capable of such a wellspring of bottomless anger. It was like a thing alive coiling above her head, like an angry serpent or a vengeful god from either down below or from the heavens.

Yet against this monstrosity stood a resolute Tatewaki, who raised his bokken and faced the rage of Ukyo without hesitation or flinching. His very air of calm further deepened her rage as he defiantly stood his ground and waited for her attack, which was not long in coming.

Again Akane and Shampoo braced themselves for the backwash of the assault, but when it came and the dragon of rage descended it encountered a field that shot out from Kuno's body to surround him, forming a protective shield even as he stabbed with his bokken up into the angry black mass and disrupted it completely.

The shockwave that they had been expecting fizzled out even as Ukyo's rage evaporated like the smoke it had seemingly been made from, leaving an astonished Ukyo to stare in disbelief and gasp, "But...how...?"

Tatewaki lowered his bokken and said, "Did you think you were the only one who knew how to harness your Ki? I have been training all of my life to be the master of the blade, and yet a weapon is of little more than an extension of your own spirit, and with your spirit as tainted with anger as it is, I had only to match it and cancel it out as it was not properly directed towards me. You need a purer spirit if such an attack as that is to be truly effective."

All at once Ukyo felt her body begin to sag inward, the failure of her attack causing her to suddenly feel both naked and vulnerable. Even as her knees began to give out on her, however, hands gripped her rudely and held her firmly aloft, several rude male hands that groped and fondled her even as her arms and legs were pinned to prevent any defensive movement.

"HEY-WHAT?" she gasped.

"We got you, Bitch!" a coarse male voice hissed into her ears.

"Stop struggling or we'll hurt you!" another just as angrily declared.

"After the way you beat us up, we won't even hesitate to do it either!" yet a third declared with absolute resolution.

"What is the meaning of this?" Tatewaki demanded, "How dare you manhandle her that way!"

"Back off, Captain Kuno!" one of the boys said as he produced a switchblade from seeming nowhere, "This ain't about you anymore! This is about paying back this Hermaphrodite for roughing us up so bad!"

"Yeah, we only wanted to find out how good she was and what she wanted with Akane," yet another boy demanded, "She didn't have to be so rough with us, the Pervert!"

"Yeah, it would serve her right if we had a little payback of our own, right?" another said to a chorus of coarse laughter.

Ukyo-held captive by the combined strength of at least a half a dozen guys-  
suddenly had a mental flash that revealed to her just what was intended by the word "Payback" in that statement. The image of herself caught and helpless as rude hands touched and probed her body was followed by far more intrusive images of them forcing her to bent over while they took their turn going into her, ravaging her, causing her to scream as if they literally were raping her on the spot. It was the most terrible image that she had ever known to date, and the fact that it could well happen drove her to increased efforts at freeing herself before this could happen.

"I give you one warning and one warning alone," Tatewaki growled as he again readied his bokken, "Release her or suffer the consequences!"

"Don't come any closer, Kuno," the boy with the switchblade said, and suddenly Ukyo found the metal edge pressing up against her neck, causing her to momentarily desist in her further struggles, "We all know we wouldn't stand a chance in hell against you, but we're not letting this go, not until we're-  
OOOOWWWW!"

"Shampoo think you say enough," the Amazon said as she pulled the boy's wrist away and forced it back against the joints, "In this one's village boy who threaten womans no last very long, and you no last either."

The boy dropped his knife and fell to h is knees screaming while the rest of those presently holding Ukyo captive were systematically knocked unconscious by an furious Akane, whose wrath laid them out before they even knew that their idol was upon them.

"Tendo Akane?" Tatewaki blinked, "And the purple tressed one? But..."

"Back off, Kuno," Akane growled, "We're not in the mood to hear it. You set this whole thing up, it's your fault things turned out the way they did!"

"But...I never...!" Kuno protested.

"You no take credit for own handiwork?" Shampoo scowled as she tossed the unconscious boy with the fractured wrist to one side, "What think would happen when you have boy gang up on girl this way? No mens who threaten woman is to be trusted..."

"I..." Kuno allowed his bokken to droop and he stood in a more relaxed posture, "I never intended for it to go as far as it did..."

"Well, that's just fine," Akane snorted, "Fat lot of good that does for Ukyo now. C'mon, Ucchan, let's get you to the showers..."

"Don't touch me!" Ukyo snapped as the dark haired girl attempted to do just that.

"You is being stupid, Spatula-girl," Shampoo said insistently, taking Shampoo by the arm and refusing to allow herself to be shrugged off as she urged Ukyo forward, "You no stand out here and give free show to boys who hurt you."

"Yeah, let us help you help yourself, Ucchan," Akane urged, taking Ukyo by the other arm and disdaining the fallen members of her former fan-club with a shrug of her shoulders, "You don't wanna be out here, you need to get showed and covered up, and we're the ones who can help you."

Ukyo knew that she should have refused their aid, should have protested that she could take care of herself, but she was too shaken by her experience to put up any more resistance. Something had been broken in her when Kuno shattered her image of the dark and destructive dragon, a sense of her own invincibility, leaving her with a stunned awareness of her own fragility and vulnerability, quite at variance with her mental self-image as a an indomitable Sith Lord.

Which was how she wound up in her current predicament, her face pressed up against the wall of the showers while Akane and Shampoo worked her over with hands and other body parts. It was really odd that it would come to this, however much she might have expected such treatment from this pair, because when they had brought her to the showers and stripped her down naked there was absolutely nothing sexual in their handling of her. In fact they had insisted on getting her under the water without a care that the first cold spray would trigger her Jusenkyo curse. Somehow transforming into her cat-girl self did something to trigger the release of her pent-up tension, because by the time the water heated up enough to revert her to full human she had already started puking her guts out. She was that out of herself and in need of a good, hard vomit...

"You take time and let it all out, Ukyo," Shampoo had urged, "No rush you self, is good to let cry out, even for warrior..."

"I don't cry," Ukyo had weakly protested as she finished her latest heave, "I'm not that girlish..."

"No, you're just too stubborn to admit that you could have been raped out there," Akane growled, "The nerve of that jerk, Kuno, stirring up trouble for you like that. I should have pounded him when I had the chance..."

"There always next time," Shampoo agreed, "We stay here with you until you all right. No go out there until you get it all together."

"You talk like you've done this before," Ukyo coughed.

"Seen before with other warrior," Shampoo replied, "No forget this one's mother is tribal Healer, help her with other womans who no want to face up to way some men act around woman, and no only men do this to some womans..."

"What," Ukyo had weakly joked, "Like the both of you want to do with me?"

She had meant it to be an insult, but she had regretted saying it almost at once as Akane had said, "If you think that would help, you only half to ask?"

"W-What?" Ukyo had blinked, the water pouring over her body helping the shakes subside so that she almost thought that sounded like a serious proposal.

"Sometime that best way to get over serious crisis," Shampoo assured her, "Otherwise maybe flinch when even Ranma try touch you."

"What are you...?" Ukyo had started to say when she felt hands playing over her body, fingers running up and down her spine and sending little jolts of electricity sparking along her nervous system, and before she knew it the shudders had vanished completely, to be replaced by an entirely different physical reaction.

So now she was caught up in a scene straight out of a pornographic movie with Akane and Shampoo going at it with Ukyo's body in the mix. She was in a mildly euphoric state that made the whole thing seem unreal, and yet more real than conscious awareness. All she could do was spread her legs wide while her breasts were fondled and her loins were fingered, causing Ukyo to groan not in complaint but in surrender. As both girls moved their hands with surprising skill and dexterity to stroke and stimulate her hypersensitive nerve endings she felt her body shake with spasms of a very different kind, her empty stomach no longer heaving as the rest of her clenched and trembled, the pleasure of being caressed drowning out the weak protests her mind had to offer.

When the first touch of fingers entering her vagina began to swirl around in search of hidden nerve clusters in need of stimulation Ukyo lost all that remained of her inhibitions. She could not tell which girl was fingering her, only that it felt so NICE to be touched in such a way that she could forget for the moment that it was a woman's hand that was causing her such pleasures, and with that last concession she let herself totally go and simply clung to the wall as her groans became more heartfelt. The pinching and stroking of her breasts were also very nice, and when Shampoo at last began to suckle her there was not a bit of her old resentment as Ukyo reached out with a hand and pressed the hair of the purple girl to encourage her to continue.

But that was as nothing compared to what was next to follow, for Akane let off on her finger-probing of Ukyo's sex and got down on her knees to put her mouth into play, and with the first touch of soft lips against the even softer lips of her labia, Ukyo shut her eyes tightly and gasped at the unbelievable pleasure of it all. She stood on tip-toes and leaned further forward as the Amazon and the Tomboy took her to places that she had never dreamed of before. When Akane pressed her mouth and probed with her tongue as deep as it would go into the chef's most intimate depths it was all Ukyo could do to not fall over as disbelief gave way to ecstasy and overwhelming consummation. The most amazing thing occurred shortly after this and she experienced her very first orgasm ever, a sensation not unlike being washed over by sun and sea as she lay naked on a beach, her mind going blank as all thought and awareness became one thing entirely...the overwhelming desire for these sensations to go on forever!

This double session of pleasure would last for over twenty whole minutes before the trio was discovered and chased out of the showers by one of the female team captains, a friend of Akane's named Ai, who promised not to spread rumors of the event so long as Akane confided to her later the details about the chef and the Amazon, to which Akane would agree with wholehearted enthusiasm.

It would take Ukyo the rest of the day before her mind would settle down into some sort of rational coherence, and even then she was aware that something fundamental had changed within her, that she was fundamentally not the same person any more. Some shadow of darkness had left her soul, washed clean by the warm shower water and the heady sex that had helped her to forget her near-  
tragic encounter with the guys who wanted to do something similar to her, but with far less intent towards mutual pleasure. It was certainly something to think about, and she knew now that she no longer resented either Akane or Shampoo, though she doubted that she would trust them like that again in any private, intimate locations.

After all, she might not be the Bad Girl she had long imagined herself to be, but that did not mean that she was easy, and just because she had discovered something about her own capacity for pleasure with members of her own sex did not mean that she was ready to totally give up on men forever.

All of this was totally unknown to a boy named Saotome Ranma, who still held a place in both her heart and destiny, yet who presently was spending time in the company of Tendo Nabiki, who also sensed that something was going on with her little sister, but-having more experience in Akane's multiple affairs-wisely chose not to inquire, deciding that there were some things that even the most concerned sibling did not want to know about, especially if it also concerned a potential rival. Such things were matters to be resolved in the future, and at the moment it was only the present that truly concerned Nabiki, a present revolving around a boy named Saotome Ranma, whose story she knew was only just beginning...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Collective Guilt Complexes: shadowmane

Has Ukyo met her match in Akane? Will she pose a threat to Ranma's relationship with the older Tendo sisters? Will Ryoga get to attend regular class sessions? Will either of them ever return to the Dark side as Purge intends? Be here next time for the answer to this and other questions in: "Nihao, My Lovely," or "My Brilliant Career in Okonomiyaki!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	19. Chapter 19

Jedi Kasumi19

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Nineteen.  
(Under Seventeen Not Admitted)

The Sound of One Hand Solo

WRNING-LEMONY BITS AHEAD!  
NOT CONSIDERED SUITABLE FOR LOWER LIFE FORMS NOT YET UP ON THE EVOLUTIONARY CHART OF BISEXUAL MATING. CONSIDERED RISKY BY SOME QUASI-SENTIENT SPECIES IN YOUR GALACTIC SECTOR.  
YOU HAVE BEEN DULY POSTED.

Having been rescued from her perilous encounter with Tatewaki Kuno and the Horde of Hentai by the comely duo of Shampoo and Akane (man, talk about out of the frying pan into the Flashfire!), the former Sith Adept known as Ukyo Kuonji at last relents to a steamy three-way all-girl encounter (yeah, like they gave her any choice about the matter...)

Meanwhile Ranma-  
unaware of Ukyo's "perilous"  
situation-is spending more time with the older Tendo sisters, Nabiki and Kasumi, for some advanced Jedi training, little suspecting that his own dire peril is in the offing...

"Don't strain yourself, Ryoga-kun," Kasumi gently chided, "Take your time, this sort of thing doesn't come automatically on the first attempt. In fact, it's better if you don't strain at all. This must be without conscious effort, without trying to move an object with your mind, for it doesn't work the same way that you might move a muscle..."

"I got that, Kasumi," Ranma replied, "But this stuff about moving stuff with my mind..."

"It will come to you in time," Kasumi reassured him, "The Force flows through everything and all things are affected by its presence. There is no part of our environment where the Force cannot enter, no place where it cannot be found, it is always with you, all around you, flowing in strong and weak currents but every near to your touch."

"I dunno," Ranma admitted, "The way you describe it, it makes it seem like this Force thing is some kind of god..."

"Not a god, Ranma-kun," Kasumi smiled, "But rather the stuff that all gods themselves are made from, the stuff of life itself, created by us and yet sustaining us in ways you cannot imagine. With that in mind, think of the rocks as being alive and what you are doing isn't pushing them around, it is appealing to the spirit of these rocks to move in tandem with your mind. Think of what you're doing now...is it any strain for you to be meditating in this position?"

"Uh...not really," Ranma admitted as he considered briefly the fact that he was standing on his head with his legs crossed in a full lotus posture. It was a position that he and his father had practiced many times over the years, and it was now so automatic for him that he hardly gave it any thought to putting the weight of his body on his head.

"Just relax and think about what you are doing, and then feel your way until it becomes entirely second nature," Kasumi recommended, "Remember, it's all about feelings and trust. You trust your own abilities, you know that you can expand your awareness to work with the elements in order to tap into the flow of life and make your wishes happen."

"Okay," Ranma said, "I'll...I'll see what happens," he managed to avoid using the word "try," knowing full well that word would only earn him another gentle-  
voiced scolding.

Ranma was glad that they were doing this in a secluded wilderness spot just beyond the boundaries of Nerima proper. Consenting to go with the elder Tendo sister on a two-day training mission-this being a Sunday and thus not a schoolday-meant that he was free to concentrate on his Jedi training without the distraction of his family, friends or other fianc es, and Sensei Trieste had thought it good for the two of them to "spend more time together," whatever the heck that meant.

Whatever it was, Ranma resolved to put it all out of his head so that he could practice the new technique that Kasumi had recommended. Having been pushed around almost from day one by Force Masters and their mysterious Telekinetic powers had made him all the more determined to learn how to harness the Force for his own uses. He already knew that it could be used to obtain knowledge of events either happening or yet to happen, but to actually apply it to move objects with his mind was something new that he had yet to learn beyond the fundamentals. With Kasumi's help he was determined to learn how to both harness and counter this ability when fighting with others, and for that he had to grasp the means by which he could levitate an object using nothing more than his Ki, a feat that seemed just beyond his grasp until Kasumi had coached him on how to use what he knew in order to achieve this simple objective.

Kasumi watched Ranma reach out to once again tap into the Force, his face alight with a wonder and an awe that had left her years ago. She felt the warmth building in her chest as she watched him, scarcely daring to breathe as it might disturb the tranquil scene before her. (What is it about him), the girl thought to herself, (That makes me feel this way? He is extraordinary, in a way that is as obvious as it is difficult to define. I don't even mind that he's younger that I! Had anyone told me my life would have turned out this way, I would have never, ever believed them. My life seemed set in stone, but I met Trieste-  
Sensei, and a whole new world opened up to me. And now, I've met Ranma-kun, and another set of opportunities arises. The Force seems to work in mysterious ways), she wryly mused.

Even as she reflected on these things she sensed the flow of the Force around the target stones alter slightly as Ranma began to form a tenuous connection. She could sense him reaching out with his mind and becoming aware of the stones themselves, how they "felt" distinctly different from the rest of their surroundings, their solidity and substance being uniquely "stone-like" in contrast to the ground and the wind and the plant-life all around them. As he became aware of this essential difference he also sensed how the gravity affected them, how the stone seemed to "breathe" ever-so-slightly as its molecules interacted with the molecules of the air with the light that surrounded them affecting it in a slow chemical evolution that seemed as slow as a glacier in the terms of mortal men and yet was nonetheless there to be noticed.

And in making this discovery, Kasumi felt Ranma draw back a bit so that he could murmur aloud the word, "Whoah..."

Kasumi felt amused at the way that he responded to his discovery, having gone through the exact same thing when much, much younger than he was now. Aloud what she said was, "Reach out with your thoughts and feel the flow of the Force surrounding these stones, Ranma-kun...and feel how they can shift with the slightest change of the force vectors..."

"I can feel it!" Ranma said, "I can do this...it's so easy..."

And sure enough, as he spoke these words, Kasumi felt the stones begin to move and turned to watch as the cantaloupe-sized rock sitting atop a flattened stone that was much larger (she herself had stacked these with her mind in order to provide him with both an example and a challenge to imitate) began rocking slightly back and forth for several seconds, then rose up as if "pushed" by invisible hands and tumbled off slightly to the side, only to be caught again as Ranma corrected his efforts and prevented it from falling. For several seconds more it hovered about a foot in the air before at last it slipped loose from his grim and landed with a thump, at which point Ranma opened his eyes and stared in disbelief, then almost incredulously stated, "I...I did it..."

"Yes you did," Kasumi applauded him brightly, "That was very good for a first effort, Ranma-kun. You see how it is done now? And with further practice you will lift much larger bodies without having to struggle for control."

"I think I see what you mean about not having to work at it," Ranma said, "It wasn't like moving my Ki or making a fist...it was more like I just turned stuff and the way in which it was moving and picked it up without touching it..."

"Yes, exactly," Kasumi nodded with enthusiasm in her voice, "And this is only the beginning of what you can do when you learn to use the Force as a tool to achieve your ends."

"Lemme try it again," Ranma said with an eagerness that was almost childlike, calming himself down with only mild effort and breathing deeply to still his mind so that he could achieve the proper inward balance, and then once more Kasumi felt him pick up the stone with his mind and watched as he carried it over and deposited it back on top of the other flattened rock, a feat that caused her to raise an eyebrow as she had not imagined that he would master such a delicate feat on his second attempt. It proved once again the young man's enormous potential.

"Very good, Ranma-kun," Kasumi turned back to him and said, "I think that should be enough for now. You don't have to strain yourself when learning to direct the Force this way. It's like any muscle that you exercise...better to use it sparingly at first and not overwork it..."

"Yeah, I get what you're saying," Ranma replied, reaching out with his hands and flipping himself back into an upright position, then uncurling his legs as he stood straight again without the kind of wobbling disorientation that most people would feel having the blood rush back down from his head. Once again Kasumi marveled at his excellent physical...condition...

"That was great," Ranma said cheerfully, "I never thought it would be that...huh? You okay, Kasumi? Your cheeks look a little red..."

"Oh, it's nothing, Ranma-kun," Kasumi looked away, marveling at the way she could let her thoughts be distracted by contemplating her potential iinazuke, "I'm very proud of you...you have done well in your new lessons. At this rate you will be working with the Force like a Force Adept in no time..."

"Heh, that's good," Ranma said as he reached up and began to rub the back of his head, wondering as always why he felt so different around this older girl than he did around anyone else but her sister, Nabiki, "I was getting to feel like I was the only one around here who couldn't do nothing. I mean, even Akane's better at this stuff than me..."

"She has spent the better part of her life learning to be a Force Master, Ranma-  
kun," Kasumi replied, "While you have been at it for only a small fraction of that time, and who knows how far you will go in your training?"

"That's great, Kasumi," Ranma replied, "I guess maybe I oughta be glad to get this far...it's just...well...kinda frustrating knowing that guys like Mousse and Ryoga can still toss me around without me being able to get in close enough to hit back."

"There is more to winning a battle than merely hitting someone, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said with a hint of mischief in her expression, "If you'd like to see how I can deal with an opponent, then you may spar with me and I will show you."

"Spar with you?" Ranma repeated, "But I thought we already did that..."

"That was merely using unarmed fisticuffs to determine our relative strengths in the martial arts, Ranma-kun," Kasumi revealed, "This will be an excellent test of how much you have learned about Force manipulation. We'll use our relative combat techniques and you can grew stronger by facing me, and if you can overcome me in a battle, then you know that you are truly worthy to be a Jedi."

"If I...?" Ranma blinked, looking up at the tall and willowy girl in her odd form of travel dress and recalling how formidable she was in a fight, even if she did appear a lot more fragile than she actually was as a matter of course.

"Come along, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said, "Let's have a walk and then we'll talk some more about the Force, and then you can test me and see what I'm really capable of in a battle."

"Uh...okay," Ranma agreed, not wanting to add that when she said the word "capable" something else flashed into his mind that was decidedly OTHER than combat, though what exactly it was that was making him feel this strange he did not truly understand, only that he felt both excited and incredibly nervous and had the oddest swelling down below, which was bound to make walking less comfortable though he supposed it just meant that he had to use the bushes sometime soon to relieve the swelling...

"I am so bored," Nabiki complained as she leaned against her windowsill and contemplated the distant horizon where she sensed Ranma was in training with Kasumi, "Oneechan is so lucky..."

"You really do like him, don't you, Nabiki-chan?" her mother asked.

"Ah...well..." Nabiki caught herself blushing and furiously wished her cheeks to remain unaltered, "I kinda worry about him, y'know? I mean...he's strong and hardy but kind of naive about a lot of things in life..."

"You mean like around women?" Kimiko asked with a tiny little smile of her own, enjoying the way her daughter was clearly wrestling with her own emotions.

"Uh...yeah, among other things," Nabiki tried to sound less interested than she was, even knowing that her mother could read her like the proverbial book, "I mean, what with that idiot father of his teaching him nothing about live but the martial arts...he seems to have kind of...neglected the elements of sex education. I mean...to not even know what a period is, or what happens when a girl goes through puberty..."

"You've sounded him out on this, I see," Kimiko mused with motherly understanding.

"Er...yeah, kind of," Nabiki swallowed, "I mean...when it came up the other day...I mean...when he thought I'd injured myself because he found out I was using a rag to clean off the space between my legs...I had to kind of tell him about what girls do every month when they're not having babies, and you should have seen the look on his face..."

"Priceless?" Kimiko asked.

"Try scared out of his wits that he'll have to go through something like that in his cursed form," Nabiki replied with a sniff, "Serve him right if he does...I think every boy oughta have at least one period every other month to let them know what it feels like. Of course, then I had to explain to him about pregnancy and childbirth and-OOOOHHH! If I weren't Jedi trained I'd swear I'd kill his father for leaving him that ignorant!"

"You would have to get in the back of a very long line, I suspect," Kimiko replied, "And I have seniority, but I must defer to Nodoka-chan...if anyone has the right to punish him, it is her."

"Yeah, and she wanted that idiot to teach Ranma how to be manly," Nabiki huffed, then smiled as she added, "Of course...if that means that the task must fall to me, I could think of worse ways to spent time coaching the boy into a greater...sexual awareness..."

"And naturally you want to give him a full, live demonstration."

"Mom!" even Nabiki was shocked at her mother's bluntness.

"Relax, Child," Kimiko chuckled, "I was young once, and I had to go through pretty much the same thing with your father, and do you honestly believe that he was any more...educated on this subject than you future husband?"

"Gah..." Nabiki glanced away, this time her cheeks flushing crimson beyond her ability to hold back, "You...ah...really mean that daddy...?"

"He and Genma trained under Master Happosai," Kimiko explained, "Whose unorthodox training methods were intended to pass along to them a taste of his own perversion. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect of traumatizing both men so that the mere hint of anything sexual could cause them to have panic reactions. Why do you think that they were so determined to be rid of him, and why afterwards they trained their children to be the opposite of what they imagined to be Happosai's evil..."

"What? You mean daddy and Uncle Saotome tried to teach us to be a bunch of prudes?" Nabiki sniffed, "Didn't take much on our side, huh?"

"That's because I've been around to insure that you do not grow up without knowing that men and women exist in the world to have the pleasure of each other's company, and to make babies so that there can be more people in the future," Kimiko explained, "In each case I have made sure my little girls were comfortable and aware of the nature of their own bodies, and to not feel shame at having natural impulses in the company of those you find attractive."

"Ah...well..." Nabiki paused before carefully asking, "...Then how do you explain Akane?"

"Ah..." Kimiko sighed, showing faint exasperation, "Your sister...I am glad that she takes great pleasure in the company of her friends, but...I would be lying if I didn't admit that I was hoping to see her give me grandchildren. I have no qualms about her preference for other girls...I was young once in that capacity too, you know..."

"Uh...you were?" Nabiki blinked.

"...But most young girls have flings growing up, then they settle down and find husbands," Kimiko continued, "Only...that doesn't seem likely to happen in Akane's case, which means she has set her sites in another direction."

"You mean Ukyo and Shampoo?" Nabiki sniffed, "Well...I suppose that's better than her taking an interest in Ranma-kun, and considering what the boys in our school have put her through, especially that Kuno..."

"Tell me something...honestly, Child," her mother looked at Nabiki frankly, "Have you ever felt tempted to explore...alternative options? I ask because you need not fear that I will disapprove of you having such...latent tendencies..."

"Ah...no...I don't think so, Mom," Nabiki reluctantly replied, "Ranma-kun's the first guy I've really felt that way about...and I've had lots of opportunities to...look around, believe me..."

"No other boys come close to him, eh?" Kimiko sounded amused.

"Mom," Nabiki said with complete honesty, "Next to Ranma-kun, there ARE no other boys in our school...just overactive hormonally charged idiots and droolers. Believe me, I'm not picking from a lengthy cast of potential players here..."

"And no girls have ever caught your eye?" Kimiko asked with a hint of mischief in her voice.

"MOM!" Nabiki reacted.

"Well, you have to admit that the boy you're after does have a problem in that regard," Kimiko said practically, "And how do you feel towards him when he is in his girl-type body?"

"Ah..." Nabiki started to say when she thought the better of it, actually pausing to think about the matter long and hard before reluctantly admitting, "...I...feel the same towards her, regardless of which body he or she's wearing. I don't like her any less than I like him...but that doesn't make me a Lesbian!" she hastily added as if wanting to establish this point outright.

"And how would liking your fianc 's female half make you a Lesbian?" Kimiko wondered, "At worse it would only make you bisexual, which is a lot closer to being normal than you imagine."

"Not for me," Nabiki insisted, "I want a man in my bed, not a girl. Hell...I can't even get my mind around the fact that Kasumi..."

"Yes, that was a bit of an eye-opener for me as well," Kimiko admitted, "But don't be so quick to dismiss the idea. It is folly to categorize people and put them into boxes as though you could classify them the way you might different kinds of stones. People are not that easy to define, let alone to set limits on what is and is not acceptable lifestyle behavior..."

"You've got to be kidding me," Nabiki said, "Mom...are you actually encouraging me to explore alternate lifestyle choices with another girl?"

"I'm just saying you obviously feel a connection with Ranma-kun when he's Ranma-  
chan," Kimiko replied, "And that's very important when you contemplate making a long-term commitment with either of his or her incarnations. Your sister, Kasumi, has obviously decided that she could live with him on either terms, and would you be any less generous than her?"

"Kasumi?" Nabiki blinked, then frowned, "I don't understand the attraction between them. He's not old enough or mature enough for her, and she's always said that she wants a mature man for a husband. That's why she's so turned off by Doctor Tofu's behavior..."

"Your sister is concerned that the effect that she has on Tofu-Sensei is not helpful," Kimiko replied, "But the attraction to Ranma is much more elemental. Like it or not, child, she is your primary rival."

"I don't want to fight against Oneechan over which of us get a boyfriend," Nabiki complained, "Isn't there someway that I can convince her to try somebody else?"

"You could try asking her," Kimiko replied, "But I doubt that it would be that simple. She has grown very fond of Ranma-kun, and yet she is aware that you are even closer to him and you two spend more time together. Ranma trusts you and respects you as both a friend and a potential fianc e. You know that he would never act in such a way as to actually and willingly hurt you..."

"But he's too naive to know what he's doing!" Nabiki protested, "And if some...floozy who knows her stuff were to get her hooks into him..."

"You mean like Kuonji?" Kimiko asked.

"Give me a break!" Nabiki threw up her hands, "That Tomboy's even more clueless about sex than Ranma...or she used to be, before...well..."

"I had heard that there was some trouble at your high school," Kimiko said, "Akane was rather sparing in the details, but as I know you tend to keep your ear closer to the ground..."

"I don't know what to tell you, Mom," Nabiki sighed, "I heard some guys ganged up on Kuonji and that Tachi was leading the pack when Shampoo and Akane broke things up...and that whatever happened between them seems to have affected her pretty bad...like...she wasn't the same person the last time I saw her, which was when Akane and Shampoo were walking her back home..."

"Home to that restaurant that Shampoo's great-grandmother has been setting up?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah," Nabiki sighed, "And I hear that she hasn't been quite the same ever since, like...not so angry with a chip on her shoulder, almost...nice...or at least that's what Ryo-chan told me..."

"You've had your friend spy on her, have you?" Kimiko asked in more amusement than accusation.

"Mom, when it comes to those Sith characters, you'd better believe that I've been keeping tabs..." Nabiki started to explain when she glanced off sharply to her right and said, "What's he doing here?"

"Who?" Kimiko turned her mind and sensed the presence that was approaching, "Tatewaki?"

"He's got a lot of nerve showing up after what I hear he pulled," Nabiki growled, then shrugged, "Oh well...Sensei's downstairs, let her deal with the blockhead. He's more than welcome to explain himself to her..."

"Oh yes," Kimiko agreed, "I suspect he is going to have to make a proper accounting to his former teacher..."

"Ah..." Kuno had taken great care to compose himself before presenting himself on the doorstep of the Tendo household, but when the person greeting him at the door proved to be none other than Trieste he found his carefully rehearsed lines deserting him completely.

"May I help you, Tatewaki-san?" Trieste asked with a deceptively calm expression.

"Ah...Sensei," Kuno considered different strategies but decided the direct approach was best. He bowed to her and held his head down, not looking up at her as he addressed his former teacher, "I have come to bed forgiveness, and to ask if I may address myself to one Kuonji Ukyo..."

"Is this in regard to the incident that took place upon your campus?" Trieste asked him.

Kuno winced as he replied, "H-Hai."

"Where you encouraged some fellow students to confront Kuonji over the issue of her earlier exploits on behalf of the Sith?" Kimiko continued.

"Hai."

"And you now regret that matters turned out rather...differently than you had expected," Trieste further noted, then added sternly, "I must say, Tatewaki-san, that I am very disappointed to learn of your involvement in this rather sordid matter."

"Please," Kuno replied, "The shame of it haunts me even now..."

"And well it should," Trieste gently chided, "It was an act unworthy of the young man that I remember. Your mother would be very disappointed to learn that you have used her teachings and mine in such an ill-advised manner."

"If I could take it back, I would," Tatewaki replied without looking up, "I only wanted to impress upon Kuonji-san that there would be...consequences if she made a move against Kasumi..."

"And you didn't even take into consideration the fact that Ukyo has been cast out by her former master?" Trieste asked softly.

"I...beg your pardon?" Kuno asked.

"You didn't know, did you?" Trieste sighed, "You thought that she was still with the enemy camp, and in many ways she still was when you confronted her. You might have checked a bit before you acted. It might surprise you to learn that Kuonji-san has shown evidence of a...shift in her attitude away from the Dark side..."

"If this is the case, then I am even more remorseful that my actions were wrongly directed towards her," Kuno earnestly responded, "I cannot rest until I seek her forgiveness. If I could atone for her dishonor with my life..."

"Your mother would be deeply wounded if you use Seppuku to expiate your guilt, Tachi-chan," Trieste said with more affection in her voice, "And you are man enough to know that it would be the coward's way of coping with your actions."

"I merely state that I am committed to making restitution for my actions," Kuno replied, "Is Kuonji-san in residence?"

"No," Trieste replied, "She doesn't sleep here, she is in another part of town, a restaurant that has just recently been opened by the Amazon Elder known as Kho-Lon of the Joketsuzoku..."

"A Chinese Amazon Elder?" Kuno asked, "In Nerima?"

"In the Furinkan financial district," Trieste replied, "I can give you the address, but I cannot say for certain if Kuonji-san will hear your apology. She is presently in the custody of Elder Cologne, who has become her self-designated trainer."

"Then it will be enough if I may petition her new Sensei and see if Kuonji-san will receive me," Kuno replied, bowing again, "I thank you for this favor, Sensei. I regret that I abused the secret techniques that you taught me long ago and will try to atone for my actions by mending my behavior in the future."

"If you do that then I will forgive you, Tachi-chan," Trieste replied, "But the one whose forgiveness you must seek is neither me nor Kuonji-san. You carry the weight of this guilt upon yourself, not that I can entirely blame you since I know that you acted out of the affection you feel towards my padawan, Kasumi."

"I yearn to one day be worthy of her affections," Kuno replied, receiving the address as Trieste gave it to him, and then he bowed again and moved away with a heartfelt, "Forgive me for disturbing the harmony of your school. I will attempt to be more respectful towards your charges in the future. I thank you for the kindness that you have shown me and hope to meet with you again when I have redeemed my tarnished honor."

Trieste bade him well as she watched the young man head towards the gates surrounding their compound, but once Kuno was beyond the range of her vision she felt a sudden shift in the force regarding him and instinctively glanced off in the distance, frowning slightly as she murmured, "Purge..."

The tall lizard man smiled down from his perch as he sensed the Jedi was aware of his looming presence. He all but dared her with his presence to come ahead and challenge him and what he intended, then dismissed her with a shrug as he turned his reptilian eyes upon his real prey, Tatewaki.

The boy was in turmoil, this much was palpably evident, and his recent actions demonstrated that he indeed had much potential, possibly even more than Ukyo or Taro. Yes indeed, he would do nicely, and all it took would be to push him a little in the direction of the Dark side, and then the boy would do the rest for himself, and then Purge would truly have an apprentice worthy of his teachings.

He slipped from concealment and followed the tall boy discretely, keeping his senses alert in case the Jedi tried to intercept him. They would have their showdown one day soon, but for now he did not need the interference. He had a new apprentice to recruit, and for that he wanted only the chance opportunity to appear, and then this Kuno Tatewaki would know the true terror of the Darkside...and tremble.

At the very least he hoped this boy would become a pure and proper avatar of evil, unlike his former apprentice, who was more and more disappointing him as he sensed that her mood was currently anything but evil...

Ukyo knew that she really ought to avoid handing her new roommate direct challenges and ultimatums because the penalty for losing the bet was proving to be far more strenuous than the challenge itself had been. As usual Shampoo had won the test of unarmed combat, and the prize she named for victory was Ukyo herself, which had let to yet another steamy encounter in the shower where the two girls were now going at it with equal parts of ardor and frenzy.

Ukyo had never known that there were so many positions in which a girl might find herself sexually entwined with another girl...heck, until a few days ago she had not even understood the concept of what being with another girl could mean. How here she was standing up with her pack to the shower wall and hot water flowing over their steamy bodies while her right leg was bent up at a nearly 180 degree angle, her foot projecting somewhere over the shoulder of her purple-haired lover as Shampoo pressed her groin against the soft muff of the brown haired okonomiyaki chef, Shampoo's own leg stretched high with her foot just to the left of Ukyo's face as they rubbed their clits together while kissing with both their mouths and labia, their hands gently fondling each other's breathes while their tongues darted in a wrestling match together.

Ukyo could not believe that she was actually doing this, that she was submitting to the affections of another girl, and that she was actually enjoying this every bit as much as Shampoo obviously was, their wet bodies proving to be so lithe and sensual that they begged to be pleasured, just as they yearned themselves to be pleasured by one another. It was the oddest thing in Ukyo's young life to be doing this with a girl she had regarded as an enemy only days ago, a foreign and exotic beauty with an oddly pitched sing-song voice whose baby-doll quality made one suspect that she had been dreamed up as a male fantasy figure, yet one given vibrant life and a boundless capacity for passionate embraces. The Chinese girl positively seemed to live for the act of love and she made every moment seem incredible, the fulfillment of unknown passions that Ukyo had never heretofore even suspected herself of possessing. As her mind began to swim and her body started to clench in the now-familiar pattern of an impending orgasm she knew that she was putty in the hands of the other girl, totally unable to refuse her anything and willing to go the distance if it meant gaining one more instant of naughty little pleasure.

It was not that she was in love with Shampoo-that she would insist was impossible-and yet she had grown oddly fond of being around the other girl, even putting up with her occasional pranks and teasing behavior. Shampoo was a very good sparring partner and certainly a capable martial artist. In most respects they seemed evenly matched for speed and raw power. Ukyo was, of course, a couple inches taller than the other girl, but Shampoo was even more limber and could do thing with her body that utterly defied description...

...Which came back to the situation that Ukyo kept finding herself in, the ready play-toy of an uninhibited wanton who seemed intent on driving the chef to literal distraction, as in the case right now where Shampoo fell down to her knees painting kisses all down the length of Ukyo's lean body, pausing just long enough to tease the other woman's groin so that Ukyo had some sense of what was impending. Try as she might to steel herself for the inevitable, it still came as a shock every time Shampoo stuck her tongue up into one of Ukyo's openings and swirled it around, finding every nerve and crevice that she possibly could that could send hot and cold jolts up and down Ukyo's spine and cause her to lubricate in preparation for a second wrenching climax. When at last she did jism she felt the Amazon hungrily devour her sex, her tongue and lips all over Ukyo's loins lapping up every drop she could find until the chef felt as though she had been totally cleaned out and had nothing left to give...and even then Shampoo found a way to cause her to orgasm again, yielding yet more of her own womanly nectar.

The thought of eating out another girl would once have disgusted Ukyo, but after an experience like that she felt the need to reciprocate, and so she went down on Shampoo without hesitation the moment the other girl propped herself up and parted her thighs with a look of open invitation. As bizarre as it seemed to perform the act of cunnalingus, Ukyo realized that she was becoming quite adept at the art, even delighting at the flavor of the Amazon's love juices as she stimulated and probed her with a tongue as refined as any gourmand. Shampoo was quite generous in yielding up her bounty, and when at last the moment came her loins clenched up and sucked Ukyo's tongue into her moistened depths, only to shoot a wad of clear sweet jism onto her face and into her mouth as Ukyo moved to catch as much of it as she could savor. Shampoo's high-noted squeals were like music in her ears as she tormented the Amazon and drank her deep until she yielded yet again with another bounteous climax.

Rather than exhaust them this double-ended climax only served to stoke the fires of their ardor, and so Shampoo sank down into the tub and all but attacked Ukyo in a frenzy of limbs, hands, fingers, mouths, tongues and digits until a casual observer would have been hard pressed to say if they were making love or having a catfight. As it was they made enough noise upstairs that down below on the first floor a certain Amazon matriarch paused to glance disparaging at the ceiling, then in a withered old voice remark, "Girls these days...in my day we had a lot more decorum about such things..."

"What's that?" Ryoga asked as he paused in the act of setting up the tables for the morning shift.

"Oh, nevermind," Cologne responded, knowing better than to enlighten the clueless lost boy as the last thing she needed was for him to become all moody and depressed for the rest of the day. The kid was nursing a bad case of the unrequited towards the Okonomiyaki chef, and it was obvious to anyone to see except Kuonji herself. Honestly, she had never met a more mercurial and easily upset walking engine of potentially lethal destruction in her life-and that said a lot considering what passed for her relations!

Instead, to take the boy's mind off his trouble with being tongue-tied and rather blunt about his budding affections towards his fellow former Sith apprentice, Cologne gave instructions on what to do to get the restaurant ready for the customers and thus too busy to brood on his own hopeless situation. Although the boy needed frequently to be steered in the right direction, he was generally very attentive and obedient, and unusually polite for a young man of his tender years. If you told him to do a simple task he would usually do it without much fuss or hesitation, provided it was not too demeaning for a male with an ego as easily bruised as himself. He really would make a fine apprentice for some aspects of the art which Cologne intended to teach him, and his deferential character made her even wonder briefly if he might make a suitable husband for an Amazon, having the qualities of respect that her people usually sought out in the male of the species.

Of course Shampoo would not agree to the deal, not unless Ryoga were provoked to challenge her and win, a feat that Cologne rather doubted that he was yet up to speed to accomplish. Besides, her amorous great-granddaughter had already elected to forge her own ties with the people of this place called Nerima in Japan, most particularly with the okonomiyaki chef and a certain Tendo sister (the younger this time, not the older as before). Then too there was her infatuation with a MAN (of all things) named Doctor Tofu Ono, yet another surprising catch whom Cologne had recently discovered when she had paid a visit to the Shiatsu-trained healer. Now there was a man who had everything an Amazon would want in a mate...good looks, a kind heart, and great dexterity with his hands. Why, if Cologne herself were only a century or two younger...

She smiled to herself, nurturing a secret even Shampoo was not aware of, knowing that to yield to this temptation might permanently alienate her from her beloved great-grandchild, and for all that Shampoo sometimes did add to the gray hairs that she was wearing she certainly loved her ward and potential successor to the Matriarch title. Shampoo might have her faults (an overactive libido for one thing being the most obvious failing) but she was a dear to have around and was such a ready, quick and able mind when it came to exploring new techniques and new potential.

Which, of course, brought Cologne around full circle as she contemplated the effect that the former Sith Adept named Kuonji Ukyo was having on the structural integrity of her new restaurant. She doubted the place could hold up for long to the strain of having two healthy, active teenagers bouncing around on the bed or coming up with new ways in which to explore each others bodies. Shampoo had taken to her new prize with great delight, clearly reveling in the company of a girl so near to being her equal that the two of them might well have been oath sisters. It reminded Cologne rather much of that passionate affair her great-  
granddaughter had enjoyed with other girls back in their village, particularly with Perfume and Ambergris, to say nothing of that gentle apprenticed Healer named Lotion. Although Cologne rather doubted that their relationship would lead to anything permanent, it was nice to see Shampoo smile these days with such a light heart that was devoid of any shadows. Much too was the way she responded to that other girl who had become so much of a part of her new life, Akane, who really was like an oath sister to Shampoo, and who also shared a deep abiding passion for exploring the ways of womanly pleasure with Ukyo herself, making them a rather odd-yet-oddly-suitable threesome...

"Hello, are you busy at the moment, Grandmother?"

Cologne smiled slyly. Think of the She-Fox and she will appear. Cologne effected a somewhat more indifferent expression by the time she turned around, then gave the Tendo girl a kindly nod and said, "Shampoo is upstairs cleaning up with Kuonji-san. If you would like to go up there and announce yourself..."

"Thanks," Akane grinned, pausing to nod to the other person present in the restaurant, "Hi, Hibiki-san. Nice morning."

Ryoga shrugged indifferently. To him one day was just the same as another, unless it happened to be raining, in which case it was even worse.

Cologne could not avoid a soft chuckle as she watched the speed with which Akane vaulted the steps leading up to the second floor then sighed, "They'll grow out of it soon enough, but I wonder if the place will still be standing by the time that happens?"

"Pardon me?" Ryoga turned around with a puzzled look.

"Never you mind, Boy," Cologne said briskly, "Do a good job setting up the tables and maybe I'll show you a trick or two that will make you an even more formidable fighter than you are now."

Ryoga's eyes brightened as he heard this, and automatically he said, "Good enough to beat Ranma?"

"We'll take this one step at a time, shall we?" Cologne urged, "First you learn what I teach you, then we'll decide if you're good enough to provide Ranma with a decent fighting partner. Lady above knows the boy does need someone as good as you to train with..."

"I don't want to train with him," Ryoga glowered, "I want to kill him!"

"It's good to see you have the proper motivation, but it will take more than that to convince me that you have what it takes, Sonnyboy," Cologne mused dryly.

"Just you wait, I'll show you that I have more than what it takes!" Ryoga balled his fist and looked ready to hit something.

Good old Hibiki, Cologne mused, a one-track mind with an attitude, just the sort of young man who could give Ranma the fighting edge he needed, with just a bit more training...

As the evening mist slowly gave way to morning, Ranma faced the eldest of his fianc e's across a forest clearing still wet with dew. Kasumi watched with a small smile on her face as the newest Jedi Adept attempted to center himself in preparation for the instruction she was about to impart. Silence blanketed their surroundings, broken only by the faint sound of animals and bird sound, the stirring of the wind through the leaves, the faint buzz of insects and the beating of their hearts as each reached out and became more aware of one another.

Eventually, that too faded away, and Kasumi and Ranma stood opposite one another in the small clearing, neither speaking, nor feeling the need to disturb the peace currently between them. It was enough to hear their own breathing coming in steady, gentle rhythm as they contemplated the wonder of it all and found their center in harmony with their surroundings.

Then Kasumi was pulled from her own thoughts, by a soft "Hum," from the boy who was learning from her. She looked his way with a gentle smile and asked, "What is it, Ranma-kun?"

Her pigtailed apprentice frowned thoughtfully, then spoke in an oddly detached tone, "The Force feels different out here, not like back at the Tendo place..." he added as if still trying to figure out just where the difference lay.

Kasumi nodded, "Hai. The Force is a product of life, Ranma-kun. It is everywhere, but out here, where the trappings of civilization do not reach, the Force is less muted, as everything around you is alive."

Ranma looked puzzled, "So because cities aren't as alive as forests, the Force isn't as strong there?"

Kasumi smiled at him again, wider this time, "Yes, although since cities are high concentrations of living things as well, the force is also present there," she said, nodding back towards Nerima.  
"So why do Jedi even bother living in towns when their power is stronger on the road?" he wondered.  
"Cities are alive too, Ranma-kun," Kasumi explained, "But rather than the power of the planet, the unifying force, which is ageless and universal, as you feel out here, the Force within a city is more of the living force, that of sentient beings, connected to the here and now. Some Jedi are more attuned to the living force, and they prefer to live amongst people, in whom the living force is the strongest."

Ranma blinked. "It really is like T'ai Chi," he murmured. "With a little bit of Feng Shui mixed in."

Kasumi laughed, and Ranma grinned. She really was beautiful when she smiled. Well, she was beautiful all the time, but more so when she favored him with one of those ten-thousand-watt smiles. He was badly confused by this whole fianc e business and even more by the feelings that each of these girls aroused in him, but he had given up trying to figure it all out now.

"So which kind of the force are you connected to?" he asked abruptly.

Kasumi regarded him for a moment, her smile never wavering.

"Tell me what you think," she instructed him.

Ranma looked at the ground a moment, gathering his thoughts, "Well," he began tentatively, "By the way you described it, I bet it's the, um, unifying force, huh?"

Kasumi looked surprised. "Yes, that's right. How did you come to that conclusion?"

Ranma looked down, sheepishly scratching his head, "Well, You said the unifying force was ageless and universal, right?" Kasumi nodded, interested in his reasoning, "So, hum...I figured that since you seem so quiet around lots of people, and you can see into the future, and the past really well, like you explained to me about how you knew about the c-c-cat-fist training, so that seems more like the unifying force...right?"

He trailed off for a moment, looking up at her. Kasumi felt the familiar flush of anger when she was reminded of that particular aspect of her 'Uncle Genma's' teaching, but she forcibly expelled it from her thoughts, nodding in agreement. Ranma still had trouble articulating complex thoughts, but he seemed to have grasped the general idea of what she had been trying to get across. His learning curve was frankly astonishing, and he had studied under her for a little under a month and was father along than she had been after six. Despite the mastery of the force she had attained to date, she was unable to suppress the slightest twinge of jealousy, an emotion with which she had even less familiarity than anger.

Envy is a product of the Dark Side, she told herself wryly. Besides, I wouldn't want to go through what he has to achieve what he has both in the art and in the force.

"Yes," she said calmly, schooling her expression so as not to let her thoughts show. "I have no aversion to...people, Ranma-kun, but I do prefer the company of few to being in a crowd."

Ranma nodded hurriedly, "Gomen, I ah...didn't mean that the way it sounded, Kasumi-chan, I just meant..."

The rest of Ranma's hurried apology was lost on Kasumi, though she nodded as he spoke. Did he just...he just call me Kasumi-chan! Oh MY! She turned slightly to hide the blush creeping up on her features. This boy, he had a knack for taking her carefully crafted opinions, attitudes and feelings, (And by the force, SUCH feelings) and turning them on their ear.

"No need to apologize, Ranma-kun," she managed to say as she looked for the objects she needed for moment, trying to hide her confused stated of mind. After a moment, she turned back to Ranma, calm and composed once more, "Are you ready to begin?"

Ranma grinned, "Heh, I was born ready, Kasumi," he asserted, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. She smiled, wanting to laugh at his inexhaustible supply of energy. "Whenever you're ready."

"Then let us begin," Kasumi replied, and without seeming to move at all she flowed across the grass, coming at Ranma with such speed that he barely had time to blink before she was upon him.

Her hands moved with even greater speed than the Chestnut Fist that he had studied under Cologne back in China. Her movements were so fluid and well coordinated that she hardly seemed to be moving at all, more like dancing with her total body in motion as she struck Ranma a dozen times and laid him out on his back within two seconds.

"Are you all right, Ranma-kun?" she asked as she paused to look down at him with some concern, "I did try to be gentle..."

"W-what did you do?" Ranma asked.

"I fought with the Force," Kasumi replied, "It is a powerful ally that can amplify your natural abilities in ways that you are only beginning to grasp. If you wish to be the equal to any Force Master that you meet you will have to work on maintaining your focus and allowing the Force to flow through you even in the middle of a battle."

"Easy for you to say," Ranma winced as he started to sit up, only to look at the hand that was suddenly proffered to him, Kasumi offering her assistance with that gentle smile that did funny things to the middle of his tummy.

"Shall we try again?" she asked.

"S-Sure," he responded as he reluctantly accepted her hand, again surprised at how soft and fragile it felt between his fingers, "Why not?"

Fifteen minutes later he was deeply regretting the rashness of those words, feeling battered and bruised like he had gone five rounds with Ryoga Hibiki.

"Hmm," Kasumi said with mild amusement, "Perhaps we should try something a little more basic before working on furthering your fighting technique, Ranma-  
kun."

"Uh...sure," Ranma agreed, silently making a note to never again refer to Kasumi as "fragile." As he straightened out and shrugged his shoulders in an attempt at bravado he said, "So, what are ya gonna teach me now?"

"Conditioning," she said simply.

Ranma blinked at that, then smirked, "In that case, bring it on, Sensei. I'm in pretty good shape," he said wryly.

Kasumi silently agreed with that statement, but shook her head as she smiling and said, "By ordinary standards, Ranma-kun, you are in excellent shape, but, for a Jedi, the body is a tool of the mind, and the level of awareness a Jedi can reach, requires levels of endurance that even the most fit man on earth would have difficulty attaining."

Ranma tilted his head slightly, considering her words, then he smiled ruefully after a moment, looking at her sheepishly, "That makes sense, I guess. I guess I should stop thinking I know everything about training, huh?" he offered.

Kasumi smiled brightly at that, "Admitting you do not know is the first stage of wisdom, Ranma-kun. You DO have a great deal of experience, but as you pointed out before, this is the next level. Are you ready to meet the challenge?"

Ranma stiffened unconsciously, as Kasumi pushed the mental 'challenge response' button in his mind. He looked at his teacher seriously, "Yeah. What's the game, Sensei?" he asked gravely.

Kasumi's expression grew sly, "Tag," she replied.

Ranma gaped incredulously, "Tag?"

Kasumi nodded. She raised a hand, and four leather weights flew from her nearby backpack and affixed themselves to his wrists and ankles. Ranma blinked, and when they had finished, he flexed his arms and legs experimentally. He looked at Kasumi in surprise.

"Geez, these' r heavy, y' know, for leather weights," he commented.

Kasumi smiled, "I'm not finished yet," she smiled. She walked over to her backpack itself and placed it around his shoulders. Ranma's erect posture slouched slightly, then he consciously straightened, and gawked at Kasumi.

"How much is in here?" he asked, shocked. He knew he was extremely strong, but this was staggering.

Kasumi smiled mischievously, "If I've guessed correctly, about three times your body weight, I imagine."

He gaped, "Nani?" he exclaimed.

Kasumi had carried the pack the whole way up here, and she wasn't even sweating! A look of amused determination settled on his face. It was just a small thing, but it showed how much he had to learn. They had been repeatedly telling him that with the Force's aid, the possibilities were limitless, and he was beginning to understand that it wasn't just a pep talk.

"Are you ready?" his sensei asked, her brilliant smile settling into her serene, 'sensei' face.

Ranma nodded sharply, a competitive grin forming, "Hai!" with that, Kasumi darted into the forest. After a moment, Ranma tore after her. At the best speed his restrictions would allow, of course...

Much Later...

Kasumi turned to Ranma, stifling a smile as he abruptly stopped panting when she turned in his direction.

"I think that's enough for now, Ranma-kun," she said kindly.

He eagerly slipped the pack off and set to work on the weights on his wrists and legs. She couldn't help but giggle at his unabashed sigh of pleasure.

"Man," he groaned, "I thought Pop was a tough Sensei, but he ain't got nothing on you, Kasumi."

A shadow flickered across Kasumi's face at the mention of the current number one on her list of least favorite people. Ranma freed his arms and legs of the weights and stretched, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, "Kasumi! Can you feel that?!"

Kasumi blinked, and reached into the force, and immediately encountered a heart-wrenching cry of pain. Her eyes snapped open, and she began to run. "This way," she said shortly, and Ranma was right behind her.

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Cavity Fighting Dental Hygiene: shadowmane

What has attracted the attention of Kasumi and Ranma? What will Nabiki decide if she learns about how close these two are coming to one another, and what does Ukyo make of all the hot and heavy action she's been getting from Shampoo and Akane? And will Ryoga get a terminal nosebleed if he ever figures out what those three are doing together? Find out in the next exciting installment: "This Old Gang," or, "Three Girls, a Pig and a Poke!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	20. Chapter 20

Jedi Kasumi20

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Twenty.  
(Under Seventeen Not Admitted)

The Clown Wars

Hikaru Gosunkugi tried desperately not to cry out as one of the men delivered a powerful blow to the back of his head with another aimed for his ribs and a third gave him a hard kick to his shins, dropping him to his knees as the beating began in earnest.

"Running away wasn't very bright, Gos," the thug snarled.

"The boss isn't happy, not at all," commented another.

Hikaru said nothing, after all, what could he say? He had been the favored pet of Hajime-san, the local Yakuza boss, since he was twelve. It was a fairly comfortable life, as long as he did as he was told, and helped the ruthless psychopath. However, the tendency of the men to treat him as if he were their property, plus the occasional vicious beating when he didn't do what was required, took most of the pleasure out of it. If he was an ordinary teenage boy, he would have made the most of it.

Hikaru, however, was anything but ordinary.

On his twelfth birthday he had had a peculiar nightmare that involved the death of one of the local store owners in a large fire. Hikaru was tempted to dismiss it, but when he caught sight a suspicious looking man loitering behind the store with a gas can, without hesitation he had quietly alerted the police. The strange man was apprehended, and revealed as an arsonist for hire.

Hikaru knew then that he had been given a gift, and a responsibility, all in one. The dreams were infrequent, but when they came they usually spelled disaster of some kind. Hikaru always managed to avert it, just in time, and after awhile the dreams branched out to all sorts of events. Once, just once, they had involved a horse race. Hikaru told his father about it and after some convincing his father then placed a bet on the appropriate nag.

They won big.

By rights this should have signified a brand new beginning for both his family and Hikaru himself...however, the night they won, the Yakuza moved in, attracted by the scent of money.

They had been watching Hikaru since he put the arsonist they hired in jail and by observation had managed to deduce his gift, deciding, as bullies are wont to do, that they wanted to put it to use for their own ends. A boy who could foresee the future, after all, was like the proverbial "golden goose," and with potential like his they had high hopes of making a killing taking advantage of his clairvoyance.  
Using their typical methods of persuasion they 'convinced' Hikaru's parent to turn over custody of the 'psychic' child. Hikaru's father had attempted to resist, but a fairly brutal beating convinced him against such a rash course of action.  
Hence, he had been forced to use his gift for the men of the Yakuza for four years. To date, this was his thirtieth escape attempt.

He'd never managed to get away for more than three days. Hajime-san was near the top of the criminal food chain now, and had more resources than ever to track his trump card down. However, Hikaru was no slouch at hiding, either. This time, he had managed to make it to the edge of the woods outside of Tokyo before getting caught. A few more times, and maybe he would have been able to vanish for good!

[That is], Hikaru amended to himself as another powerful blow rocked him, [If they don't kill me first. Please!] He cried out with his mind, [**Help me!**]

[**Take courage!**] a voice called out to him unexpectedly, causing Hikaru to momentarily tune out the pain signals that he was receiving from all quarters. There was something on the periphery of his awareness, and he sensed something moving his way...in fact, he could perceive a powerful presence approaching rapidly, and with his ability to foresee the future he began to pick up on the inklings of an impending rescue...

"Hey! You listening to me, Wimp?" one of his assailants rudely demanded with a vicious punch that dislocated his shoulder, "Pay attention when we're talking to you!"

"Yeah, how are you gonna learn any lessons if you don't cooperate, Hikaru?" another thug demanded.

"That's enough! Unhand him you Delinquents!"

"Huh?" the Yakuza muscle collectively reacted as they turned as one to see the person who was addressing them in such an imperious manner. Hikaru risked looking up from his huddled "Turtle"-like position to see for himself the source of that high-pitched, childish sounding voice and gogged in dismay, for the speaker did indeed appear quite child-like, no more than twelve years old if she were a day out of diapers!

"Buzz off, Kid," one of the thugs said scornfully, "Go play with your mother."

"How rude!" the child reacted, "You boys should be in school, not standing around here bullying that student!"

"Student?" the Yakuza low-ranking soldiers exchanged puzzled looks over that, for while they did appear rather young-being on the average in their early twenties-they hardly qualified as students any more than the teenaged Hikaru.

Unnoticed by all of these participants, Kasumi and Ranma came running up to the threshold of this scene, only to pull up short as Kasumi waved a hand to her student-fianc e urging them to hold back rather than to go charging into the middle of the situation. The boy huddled on the ground was clearly being menaced by the older men who surrounded him, but there was something about the young-seeming girl that set her senses in alarm mode. Knowing better than to judge by mere appearances she peered more intently at the young girl's aura and saw confirmation that there was more to her than would meet with mere appearance.

"You apologize to that boy right now or you will be punished!" the girl demanded, flashing a coin in her hand as though holding a deadly weapon.

"What's up, Kasumi?" Ranma asked, "Ain't we gonna do something..."

"Not yet," Kasumi replied, "Just wait and see what happens."

"But they're gonna kill her!" Ranma automatically protested.

Even as he said this the lead Yakuza thug was snarling, "Little girls like you shouldn't be making threats to your elders..."

"This is not a threat," the "little girl" in question responded, "I am Ninamiya Hinako and I won't tolerate bullies who pick on students who are weaker..."

"We ain't students!" another of the thugs snarled in exasperation.

"Oh, just shut the kid up, willya?" the lead thug snapped, and two of his subordinates started to advance on the little girl with clear intent on doing her mischief.

"Run!" Hikaru called out, unable to abide seeing someone else receive an even worse beating than he had, "Get away fast-!"

He was cut off by a rude kick to his ribs that cut off further efforts at heroism on his part, an equally rude, "Shut up, you! We ain't done with you yet!" only promised that the cruelty was far from ended.

"I can't watch this..." Ranma started to say when he felt Kasumi's hand on his chest, blocking further movement. He turned and saw the wide-eyed stare in the older girl's eyes as she stared at the young-seeming child as if clearly alarmed at what she was seeing.

"GOOD-GIRL ATTACK-HAPPO FIVE-YEN SATSU-MALICE-EVIL-ILLNESS-PAIN-  
MAGIC!"

Ranma flinched away as a wave of green radiance radiated from the form of the young girl in the bright yellow dress, which lashed out like a cone of cold and swept over the gangsters, both the two advancing on her and their colleagues hanging further back. Hikaru himself felt the wash of draining energy passing over him like some Biblical Angel of Death, but then the feeling had passed and he risked looking up again he saw a scene of wasting devastation unlike anything in his young life's experience.

The Yakuza thugs were down for the count, and clearly they would not be rising up again anytime shortly. The fact that they were still alive was more difficult to determine as they looked withered and wasted, like raisins left out too long in the sun as if sucked dry of vital energy and left cast aside like spent candy wrappers.

His rescuer, on the other hand...was anything but withered. Instead she stood transformed, no longer a child but quite obviously an adult with rounded curves and long, elegant legs, her face and form a stunning beauty before whom most women were as common as dirt and as plain as leftover stew.

Ranma summoned it best when he said, "Whoooooah..."

"I was right about her," Kasumi said, "Ranma-kun, we must approach this one with all due caution."

"Yeah, no fooling about that, Kasumi," Ranma agreed, "She took them all out with one attack...what kinda magic is that?

The woman in question just gave a contemptful sniff towards her fallen victims then said in a sultry, sensual voice, "You boys aren't mature enough to handle me...and you there...try acting more like a man next time. There's no point in facing bullies down if you just give them the satisfaction of seeing you grovel."

"Hah?" Hikaru asked stupidly, peering up from his prone position at a woman who barely fit her dress and was seriously threatening to bust out all over. He was so mesmerized by her beauty that he almost didn't see the other two strangers who were approaching them on foot, but the woman herself did sense their approach and turned to stare at them with an immediately suspicious expression.

"Who are you?" she asked, even her wary tone sounding sensual and sultry.

"Be at peace," Kasumi hailed, "We are no threat to you, we came because we sensed that there was trouble here, but it seems that you have resolved it."

"That is true," the woman turned to regard Kasumi, "Are you another student? I am looking to find Furinkan High School..."

"I used to go there, but I graduated a more than year ago," Kasumi replied, nodding to her companion, "But Ranma-kun there still attends with my two younger sisters."

"What do you wanna find Furinkan for?" Ranma asked, "It's a Sunday..."

"That does not matter to me," the woman replied, "I am Ninamiya Hinako and I have been summoned by the Assistant Principle on a matter of some urgency. I am a teacher by trade and a disciplinarian by practice."

"Disciplinarian?" Kasumi asked.

"It is my special duty to punish delinquents when they become too rowdy and disrupt the harmony of regular class hours," the woman replied, giving a faint sniff at the men she had laid low, "Or whenever I encounter delinquents who are taking advantage of the weak and helpless."

"Um...excuse me?" Hikaru spoke up, "I don't mean to contradict you, Lady, but...these weren't delinquents..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ranma crouched down and examined the unconscious bodies, "They look more like street punks to me..."

"They're Yakuza," Hikaru said as he sat upright and tried to straighten out his rumpled clothing, "And they were chasing me on account of their boss..."

"Did you do something to upset them?" Kasumi asked without her tone sounding the least bit accusatory.

"You might say that," Hikaru sighed, "I'm their prisoner...they've been holding me against my will, threatening my family..."

"Yeah?" Ranma asked skeptically, eyeing the slightly built boy with the weirdly gaunt features and overly large eyes, who hardly seemed that much better off than the emaciated forms of the fallen gangsters, "What would they want with a guy like you anyway?"

"I..." Hikaru looked down and was reluctant to continue.

"Whatever the cause these men believe that they have for pursuing you, it is clear that they do not intend you well," Kasumi decided, "It is not right for anyone to claim possession of another human being. We belong only to ourselves and are accountable for no one but each other."

"Well said," the woman relaxed somewhat, "You are clearly no delinquent, so I will bid you a good day and be about my business..."

"Hey, wait up a second," Ranma straightened up, "Can you tell us how you did that trick to beat these guys?"

"Ranma-kun," Kasumi gently chided.

"That is all right," the disciplinarian replied, "I am used to encountering curiosity from those whom I encounter. The Anything Goes school of Happo Five-  
Yen Satsu is a powerful technique that draws upon the vitality of an opponent to defeat them..."

"Anything goes?" Ranma blinked.

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, reacting to the same peculiar sense as her iinazuke.

"These men will recover in a few hours and recall how weak they were," Hinako continued, "Which hopefully will teach them to be mindful of the weaknesses of others..."

"Are you kidding?" Ranma asked, "If these guys are gangsters, I'd think the last thing they'd do is learn from their mistakes."

"Now Ranma-kun," Kasumi chided, "One should never presume to know how another person will react when they encounter a superior opponent."

"Uh...I'm afraid he's right, Ma'am," Hikaru said timidly, "Their Boss...the guy who sent them after me...he's not the sort of guy to let me go without sending more guys to bring me back..."

"No fooling?" Ranma said, "What did you do? Take his favorite pet pig or something?"

"Ah...no..." Hikaru glanced down, "It's...nothing like that..."

"Where do your parents live?" Kasumi asked the slightly built boy.

"Ah...not far from here," Hikaru said, but hastily amended, "But I don't wanna go back there! These guys would hurt my mom and dad if I got them involved..."

"Unforgivable," Miss Hinako said, "There is no excuse for such rude behavior! Threatening your parents because of your involvement with them? This is a matter that I must take to the school administration, allowing something like this to go on in their school district. No wonder they have a need for my services. Very well, you are coming with me."

"Uh...I am?" Hikaru asked.

"You sure you know what you're doing, Lady?" Ranma asked.

"That is Miss Hinako to you, Student," Hinako replied with a haughty lilt to her voice, "Good day to you both. This does not concern either of you. From now on this is a matter of official school business..."

"But..." Hikaru began to protest as he was led away by the hand by the sensuous teacher.

Ranma and Kasumi remained where they were for several moments, then Ranma said, "Kasumi...you ever get the feeling that this is a really weird neighborhood you guys live in?"

"Oh my," Kasumi agreed, watching the older teacher all but dragging the slight boy after her and having a strong sense that this would not be their last encounter with Miss Ninamiya Hinako, "I suppose you are right about that, Ranma-  
kun. No matter, I believe that we should return home, it will be getting near to dinner soon and I really should help mother out in the kitchen."

"Ah...right," Ranma agreed, feeling the rumble in his own tummy and deciding once again to go along with the wisdom of his comely older fianc e...

Meanwhile, far away from this conversation, Ranma's other fianc e, Nabiki, was being instructed by the benevolent but mysterious teacher of the Tendo siblings, the Jedi Mistress Trieste. At present the both of them were sitting down in the dojo facing each other, legs neatly folded underneath them with eyes open and staring focused upon the space between them. Outwardly neither one was moving, nor did they even speak aloud to one another, and yet the air between them fairly buzzed with the activity of their minds and spirits, and in their own minds eye they were seeing with senses far more refined than ordinary eyes and ears could perceive. To them the world was full of swirls and colors and patterns of energy coalescing all around them, and the power of the mind was the only limiter, the only standard worthy of recognition.

If one had eyes to perceive the colors of human auras they would have seen how Trieste fairly shone like a living star, her aura so bright that she seemed more divine than human. Nabiki's aura, by contrast, was less bright or distinctive, but the swirls of gold and green energies playing about her were strong and vibrant, intermittently punctuated by the swirl of a rosy glow that hinted of passing thoughts of sensualism, and the occasional whirl of orange-gold that suggested more material thoughts were taking place within her conscious thought processes.

At last Trieste made the mental observation, **Your thoughts are in confusion, Nabiki-chan. You are allowing your mind to travel in several different directions at once...**

**Just clearing out the cobwebs, Sensei,** Nabiki replied, **You always said that meditation should be used to help us organize our thoughts and sort out our feelings before we concentrate on the big stuff.**

**That is true enough,** Trieste replied, **But that implies that your thoughts will be settling down into a more coherent pattern, and I do not see that as happening too soon with the way your thoughts are churning about. It would help if you unburden your load before you attempt to meditate, for the things you carry with you onto this level of reality have a real effect on your immediate environs.**

**Sorry, I guess maybe I am kind of bothered about a few things,** Nabiki admitted, **I've got a lot on my lately...**

**I see,** Trieste thought in some amusement, **And who is it that concerns you more...Kasumi, or Kuonji?**

Nabiki gave the mental equivalent of a sigh, **Okay...so maybe that's pretty much the top of my short list of complaints. I mean...Oneechan and Ranma? What the heck do they have in common...?**

**Possibly more than you suspect,** Trieste replied, **But it is it the strength of your feelings for Ranma that colors your perceptions now...or the fear within you that he might prefer her over you?**

**Touch ,** Nabiki mentally winced, **It's easy to think that maybe Ranma-kun would grow to like Kasumi...everybody likes Oneechan, she just has that kind of effect on people...**

**And Ranma, being the sort of lonely and confused young man that he is, would be vulnerable to the charms of one who might seem alternately like a mother and an older sister?** Trieste gently teased, **Actually, the age difference between them is not that much greater than between you and Ranma, and considering the way in which he was raised he could certainly stand to have a woman's kind touch guiding him on the road to adulthood. I know that you want to be the one who does the guiding, and yet you are still a young woman not yet grown to full maturity, while Kasumi...**

**If you're trying to depress me, Teach,** Nabiki said sourly, **It's working...**

**My apologies, that was not my intention,** Trieste replied, **And you do yourself little credit if you think that the qualities that Ranma clearly admires in you weigh any less in his own assessment. As it stands I would judge that you both hold an equal place in the heart of our young Master Saotome. He has never known your like before, and to have two such beautiful and vibrant young ladies paying him this much attention must certainly be a novelty in his experience. On the one hand, Kasumi has approached him as a mentor and a friend, while you have become a trusted companion upon whose judgement he is beginning to rely, and there is no question but that he feels protective towards the both of you...**

**Really?** Nabiki brightened, then thought with some irony, **Even though he knows that we're both stronger in the Force than he is?**

**To Ranma you are both women,** Trieste replied, **And he has the quaint notion that this defines you as the weaker of the sexes, which means that he must lend his strength to protect you, an attitude made stronger by the fact that you both have taken injury on his behalf, which adds a further note of guilt to his feelings in this matter.**

**So the baka feels protective towards us because he thinks we're more fragile than he is?** Nabiki made the mental equivalent of a rude noise, **A couple of days around Oneechan will sure disabuse him of that notion...**

**We will see about this,** Trieste noted with amusement, **In any event you should take it as a compliment that young Ranma cares enough about you that he worries about your welfare. When you were hurt during your fight with Kuonji...**

**Ow...just thinking about that smarts, Sensei,** Nabiki winced, **Those mini-  
spatulas of hers are wicked...but...yeah...it is kind of nice to think of the big doofus feeling like he has to look after us the way he is...** and then she remembered what it felt like to be held within his arms and felt herself shiver with her aura turning entirely rosy with a surge of unexpected sexual energy tingeing her thoughts in equally unexpected directions.

**There are worse fates than having a boyfriend who is equal parts dependent child and shining knight in armor,** Trieste mused with real affection, then she surprised Nabiki by saying, **Tell me, Nabiki-chan...how would you feel about sharing Ranma with Kasumi?**

For a moment the swirling colors surrounding Nabiki churned into a dozen different conflicting shades, but then her thoughts settled down into a semi-  
coherent pattern and she looked at her mentor in frank astonishment and thought back, **Are you kidding?**

**I am quite serious,** Trieste replied, **It is one logical resolution to what otherwise might become an irreconcilable conflict between you and your beloved sister. After all, you both love each other, and if it came down to having to choose between one of you...**

**Yeah-but...I mean...we're sisters!** Nabiki mentally blurted, **You're not seriously suggesting that we...?**

**That is entirely up to the both of you,** Trieste replied, **But what I was proposing was that you share a man...namely Ranma...not necessarily that you would be obligated to share your bodies with one another.**

**But...wait!** Nabiki thought with a surge of unexpected emotion, **Are you saying you think we should both take Ranma for our husband? But...that's not even legal...**

**Certainly not by the laws of Japan,** Trieste agreed, **But if you were to talk with Elder Cologne you would learn that the practice of monogamy is not as universal as you would imagine.**

**Elder Cologne?** Nabiki mentally blinked, **Are you saying some Amazon thing from Shampoo's tribe...**

**Or, if you would prefer to hear it from someone closer to your age, you could ask Shampoo herself,** Trieste added with a faint hint of amusement, observing the other girl's general reaction.

**Shampoo?** Nabiki swallowed, **No thanks...if I ask her she's likely to give a more than graphic illustration...**

**And does this thought terrify you so much?** Trieste asked in genuine interest, **Are you this disturbed at the mere thought of same-sex behavior...?**

**Hey, I got nothing against Akane and her thing,** Nabiki hastily replied, **But if I'd wanted to find out what it's like to indulge in lesbian sex then I'd drop my guard around her, and you know as well as I do that she wouldn't hesitate to screw me.**

**Yes,** Trieste mentally sighed, **I have noticed a marked lack of...restraint on the part of your younger sister. If anything she has quite surprised me with the...enthusiasm that she is displaying...**

**To put it mildly,** Nabiki thought sardonically, **Turns out little sister has been living a secret life that's even been below my radar. I thought she was just into general fooling around, but somewhere down the line she's become quite adept at sleeping with almost half the other girls in our school-in some cased without the knowledge and consent of their boyfriends. I guess the real eye-  
opener was Kodachi...**

**Your old friend,** Trieste sighed, **How is she doing these days? I have been meaning to check up on her...**

**She's been avoiding me, which is sort of guilt by association,** Nabiki mentally snorted, **She must think rampant lesbian nymphomania runs in the family or something. I mean...before Sis owned up to the fact that she and Shampoo had a fling in China...**

**You never know about a person until you walk a mile in their sandals,** Trieste gently philosophized, **In truth I knew all about it, and I neither raised objections nor did anything to discourage them from exploring their feelings. I knew your mother would understand, and it was a good learning experience for the both of them. You ought to at least keep in mind that you might probably have acted the same way had you been in her place...**

**I doubt it,** Nabiki replied, **But...okay...I don't really know what it'd be like to sleep with another girl...I'm not sure I want to know. I like men...I like Ranma-kun...and before you say it, I know he's half girl because of his curse, but...**

**But you think it would be different doing it with your own sister,** Trieste smiled, **Maybe you should then try it with either Shampoo or Kuonji...someone with whom you do not yet have a pre-established emotional attachment...**

**With all due respect, Teach,** Nabiki frowned, **I don't really think I could do it with somebody that I didn't feel anything for. For my first time...I want it to be special.**

**Fair enough,** Trieste conceded, **But I am only asking that you take it into consideration as one possible option among many.**

**Putting aside the fact that it is a really weird idea and would probably get us both socially ostracized, even if it were legal,** Nabiki pointed out, **It's still just an academic proposal, and Kasumi would never go along with it...**

**I have already proposed the idea to her,** Trieste revealed, **And she, too, has agreed to take this proposal under consideration.**

**She did?** Nabiki's eyes appreciably widened.

**Your sister is a very respectful and conscientious young lady, Nabiki-chan," Trieste pointed out, "And she is aware of the strength of your feelings towards Ranma. You know that she would never deliberately hurt you, Nabiki-chan, and so she is willing to consider the option of sharing...under whatever terms you would find most agreeable.**

**I...don't believe it...** Nabiki thought, then promptly corrected herself, **Okay, maybe I do. I mean...if Kasumi could have sex with a foreign girl when she was almost my age...**

**I think that it is long since time that you spoke with Kasumi directly," Trieste advised, **Before this matter goes any further and becomes a major issue between you.**

**I...guess that makes sense,** Nabiki reluctantly agreed, then paused as she looked at her mentor and added, **What you were saying earlier...about Kuonji...?**

**Ah yes,** Trieste heaved a mental sigh once again, **There have been a few changes that I have noticed about Kuonji...and you have doubtless noticed them too, most especially since she has taken up residence at Elder Cologne's restaurant, and especially after spending as much time as she has with your sister.**

**Hooboy,** Nabiki mentally winced, her imagination boggling as she thought of what affect Akane might well be having on her nominal cross-dressing OTHER rival...

"Well?" Ukyo asked, "What do you think?"

"Mmm...is very tasty," Shampoo said, "Spatula girl cooks good Japanese...what call this again?"

"Okonomiyaki," Akane responded between bitefulls, "And you're right, it's very good! I could have another one if you don't mind very much, Ucchan."

"Sure thing, Sugar," Ukyo replied, pouring out the ingredients and going to work to whip out another of her tasty confections, which same she deposited on Akane's plate within what seemed like mere seconds.

"I don't know," Cologne studied her own half-eaten okonomiyaki critically, "It is good from a cooking standpoint, but..."

"But?" Ukyo raised and eyebrow as she warily studied her hostess.

"It's missing something," Cologne replied, "It's got an almost mechanical flavor, like you're just going through the motions. It lacks the joy and delight of a real chef who takes pleasure in her cooking, just as it lacks a sense of proper ambition..."

"Ambition?" Ukyo frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I think it's very good, Ukyo," said Ryoga as he finished off his helping, "You always cooked great food back at our camp..."

"But the joy is missing, and the ambition," Cologne insisted, "A true chef prepares a meal with the intent of doing more than simply feeding her customers...a true chef always makes every effort in her work to excel beyond the common standard, to push herself into making a meal that is fit for a Queen. You want to go far as a chef around here, Dearie, you're going to have to look long and hard inside yourself to decide why you want to cook in the first place. Only then can you cook with pride and a sense that you are worthy of the praise that comes with being a true master."

"Cook like a master?" Ukyo looked down at her portable grill, "Gee...I don't know...I've never really thought about it that way. I've been so intent on my studies...I never really realized that there could be such a thing as cooking with ambition..."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Ucchan," Akane urged, "I love your cooking, and I think you're something special."

"That's nice of you to say, Sugar," Ukyo sighed, "But you're not exactly an impartial judge here..."

"Is true," Shampoo agreed, "Akane think Ukyo very, very special, and this one think Spatula girl very special too."

Despite herself Ukyo colored slightly, knowing from the sly looks that she was receiving from the other two girls at the table that they were thinking about her once again in an entirely sexual context...if they-in fact-ever stopped thinking about her in that manner.

Ryoga, who was only vaguely aware of the subtle hint of sexual tension floating all around him, was looking from Ukyo to Cologne and saying, "You mean it's possible for Ukyo to cook even better food than this? I don't know if that's even possible...everything she cooks is so good..."

For a brief few seconds Ukyo felt a glowing sense of gratitude towards the lost boy who was also her fellow Sith Apprentice, then Cologne once again brought her confidence back to earth by saying, "Good is average when it comes to the restaurant business, and without a direction and sense of where she has to grow, Kuonji-san will remain mired at the level where she presently is. I know that she has it within her to be a great chef, but she needs to expand her talents out rather than specialize all the time doing just okonomiyaki."

"Hey!" Ukyo protested, "What's wrong with okonomiyaki?"

"Nothing is wrong with it, fool," the matriarch chided, "You just lack the range of vision that would show you how to use your skills in other areas. It's like your overreliance upon your cooking implements as opposed to using non-food related weapons, or your barehanded skills, which are rudimentary and basic. You will need to learn to use the full range of your abilities if you are to satisfy me that you have the ambition to be a truly great Chef, worthy of serving customers in this restaurant."

"You mean you don't intend to let me cook?" Ukyo asked with raised eyebrow.

"For now you may serve the common customer who graces this establishment," Cologne said, "But I want you to look them each and every one in the eye and decide for yourself if you are serving them as befits their patronage."

"Excuse me, Elder," Akane said with as much respect as she could master, "But is that fair? You know that Ukyo is the heir to her family's okonomiyaki traditions..."

"All the more reason for her to take pride in her work," Cologne replied, giving Ukyo a hard look, "Ask yourself if you can think if your father looking down at you from Heaven and you can say to his spirit that you are honoring your traditions. Then you can tell me if it is enough to merely cook food that is just decent enough for consumption by most humans."

"I...think I see what you mean," Ukyo looked down at her grill, "But...how do I get ambition?"

"You are the only one who can answer that, Kuonji-san," Cologne replied, "We will work on training you in other areas, but you must train yourself if you wish to carry on the legacy of the Kuonji cooking ryu."

Ukyo continued looking down for a time, then she slowly looked up with defiance plain in her expression, "All right, Old Woman, you're on. I'll find out what my cooking is missing if I have to cook a hundred-no-a thousand okonomiyakis..."

"That's...a lot of okonomiyaki," Ryoga faintly murmured.

"Whatever it takes to be the best, I'll do it!" Ukyo resolved, "As the Kami are my witness, I'll never cook badly again!"

"That's the spirit!" Akane cheered, "You have nothing to lose but your credentials as a chef, right?"

"Hiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "Spatula girl learn to cook better than good, then Shampoo gladly eat her cooking!"

"That's more than anyone will do when I try to cook," Akane grumbled with a surprising turn of emotion before smiling again in Ukyo's direction.

"Oh?" Ukyo asked, "Something wrong with your cooking?"

"Ah...well..." Akane winced.

"Maybe we do something to help you then," Shampoo said brightly, "This one and Spatula girl good chefs, maybe we teach Akane how make food that is fit for family, yes?"

"Ah...right," Akane chuckled nervously, "That'd be great...no problem."

Cologne had a curious sense that the task ahead of her charges was a lot more formidable than they were reckoning to handle, for there was that about the Tendo girl that inspired less than sterling confidence in this particular capacity. In truth she had her own questions that were in need of solving in that particular area of interest, for there was that about Akane that did not incline one to imagine her in a domestic capacity. Perhaps she was only imagining the Tomboy aspects as being reminiscent of certain Amazon traits, but for some odd reason she was reminded frighteningly of her own hapless granddaughter, who was a great village doctor but lousy at anything to do with the kitchen. Shampoo had clearly gained her own talents from her father's side of the family, which was a very good thing for any man (or woman) with whom she might want to settle down with on even a semi-permanent basis.

"Well, I don't know," Ukyo was just then noting, "Normal cooking is no big deal to learn. If you can boil water you can cook Ramen..."

"Is no true," Shampoo chided, "Is more to cooking ramen than just heat water. Spatula girl should know that."

"You'll excuse me, Sugar," Ukyo noted dryly, "But my recent experiences with hot water have had a lot more to do than just cooking."

"Oh?" Ryoga looked up again, "Like what?"

There was a pause around the table, then Cologne said, "Ryoga...would you do an old woman a favor and fetch a box of ramen noodles from the back storage room? I think my great granddaughter would like to give a more graphic illustration of her intentions."

"Oh, sure," the boy got up from the table and headed off towards the back without raising a note of protest.

Akane watched him go then said, "Wow...he sure is polite for somebody who can be a raging boar when you get him worked up..."

"Ryoga's always been like that," Ukyo replied, "Master Purge would give him some simple task and he'd do it without too much complaining. It's only when you let him sit around and brood that he becomes dangerous to be around..."

"That is true enough," Cologne replied, "But the real reason why I sent the boy on this task is so that we could talk privately without upsetting him..."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo asked, "Why upset him, Great-Grandmother?"

"Because, as you have already noted, the young fool does have a temper," her Elder replied, "But this does not concern him so much as young Miss Kuonji here..."

"Me?" Ukyo arched an eyebrow, "What do you...?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Cologne replied, turning a look towards the other two girls at the table, "I haven't spoken of this before because what you young people do on your own is your own concern, just as long as it does not impact on your training. That, however, could happen if matters go on without certain grievances being aired, and this is your opportunity to say what you each think regarding one another without there being any unfortunate...repercussions."

"Repercussions?" Akane asked, "I don't get you..."

"Hiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "Great-Grandmother, what you mean by airing grie-  
vances...?"

"Heh, I'm not surprised you ain't figured that out, Sugar," Ukyo sniffed, "From what I've learned being around you two, you both do whatever you like and don't even ask questions about it later."

"Ucchan?" Akane asked, "Is something wrong? Did we do anything to..."

"No," Ukyo frowned, "It ain't like that at all. You and Shampoo here have been great to me...in fact, I've never had anyone be as nice to me as you two have been the last few days. I don't even mind the fact that y'all take every advantage you got to screw me silly since that seems to be your idea of casual friendship..."

"Is something wrong with this?" Shampoo asked earnestly, "Ukyo no complain upstairs, and no can pretend you no enjoy sharing pleasures."

"Yeah," Akane said, "I mean...so maybe we get a little carried away and all, but we thought we were all getting into this together..."

"Uhuh," Ukyo said in droll humor, "And I'm grateful an' all that you two helped me out when I got into trouble the other day...but did that give you the excuse to do to me what those boys were planning to do before you stopped 'em?"

"Huh?" Akane blinked.

"Spatula girl think we as bad as boys who take without asking?" Shampoo marveled.

"Well," Ukyo said frankly, "Isn't that the case? I mean...I was in a vulnerable state and you took advantage of me, and while I'm actually kinda grateful about the matter..."

"You mean we were forcing ourselves on you?" Akane frowned, "How can you say that? How can you compare what we've shared together with what those guys were going to do to you? Ucchan...they're not the same thing..."

"Yeah?" Ukyo asked, "And how are you guys any better?"

"Does Ukyo think perverted boys care if she enjoy self when they take pleasures on her?" Shampoo countered.

"Huh?" Ukyo turned to her purple-haired companion, "What's that got to do...?"

"Boy who force self on girl no care if girl enjoy it," Shampoo spoke with force as she sat upright in her chair, "Boy who take pleasures no care if girl want give him pleasures. Boy only care about satisfying boy. This one know that Boy think he even doing girl favor..."

"Shampoo?" Akane said in surprise, "You...?"

"Mousse try force self on Shampoo," Shampoo stated bluntly, then glanced down, "He no think it right this one reject him for other girls. He say things very angry, take offense that Shampoo like be with other girl but no with him. Shampoo never speak of it before because..." she glanced at her great-  
grandmother and added, "...No want him be unmanned by Elders. Amazon law very, very strict with mens who no treat womans with respect...take away ability force self on other womans..."

"Say what?" Ukyo blanched, her imagination giving her a very frank idea of what that could mean.

"Take away his...Ewww!" Akane belatedly got the point and swallowed.

"It need not have gone as far as that, girls," Cologne said dryly, "There are milder forms of punishment that could have been inflicted, among the most dreaded being the Shiatsu attack that renders a man permanently impotent unless reversed by a comparably advanced technique. Of course, in Mousse's case that would have just made him a angrier and more frustrated, so putting him out of our misery might have been a kindness."

"So...uh...what happened?" Ukyo swallowed, not wanting to further explore the implications.

"Mousse very stupid," Shampoo glowered, "He badly rate this one's ability to resist him. He go away more bruised and hurt but just as determined...maybe why he join Sith lord as student. He strongest boy in village in own age group, but to Shampoo he still weakling."

"Ah...so that bastard tried to force his way on you," Akane frowned, "I'm amazed you didn't kill him."

"This one...badly tempted, but learn forgive Mousse for his error," Shampoo calmed down noticeably as the memory seemed now to make her more sad than angry, "This one hope he find someone else who make him happy. No want to spend whole life be angry, much rather be happy with girl who make this one happy."

Ukyo silently noted that the Amazon's command of Japanese tended to degrade noticeably whenever she got upset, but she had to admit it was rather cute to hear the sing-song cutesy tone of the other girl's voice. Still she managed to attain just enough sternness in her voice to say, "So why is what you guys did to me so much better?"

"Ucchan," Akane responded as if pointing out the obvious, "Do you honestly think we would have done it with you then if we thought it would make you unhappy?"

"Is true," Shampoo nodded, smiling as she added, "Shampoo...this one...see how Ukyo need holding. Is good thing to make pleasures with you so you no feel sick with fear each time someone touch you. Could take many long year to get over hurt if not do immediately to take Ukyo away from memories of what boys want do. This one knows many ways to pleasure womans body, is like riding a bicycle...you fall down, best thing in word do is get back on again..."

"What, are you comparing me to a bicycle?" Ukyo blinked.

"Well, why not?" Akane grinned, "You're easy to ride and you don't need that much pumping."

"I am NOT a bicycle!" Ukyo said with a mild scowl in the Tendo girl's direction, but seeing the grin the dark haired girl was wearing-coupled by the sensuous gleam in Shampoo's eyes-did much to deflect any resentment she might have felt on that subject. Instead she found herself smiling as she replied, "Okay...I admit it...it did feel good making out with you two, and I sure felt better about it later, but...I still got doubts about the wisdom of your idea of therapy. Raping a girl who was about to be raped by guys..."

"Hey, you can't rape the willing," Akane leered, now matching Shampoo for lascivious expressions.

There was a knocking at the door to the restaurant, drawing attention away from what was fast becoming a very smoldering atmosphere flaring up between the three teenaged girls. Cologne was almost grateful for the interruption as she was feeling more-and-more like a fifth wheel in this conversation, so she turned around and called out, "Who is it?"

"Forgive me for intruding," a familiar male voice spoke from the doorway, "Is Kuonji Ukyo in residence here? I have come to pay my respects."

"You?" Akane's tone was immediately hostile.

"Stick boy have much nerve come here show face," Shampoo also scowled.

"Believe me," the tall boy said as he remained standing in the doorframe, "I do not hold you at fault for feeling this way towards me, and...I could not help overhearing at least a portion of your conversation."

"You were eavesdropping?" Akane rose up from her chair, "You...Hentai!"

"Calm down, Sugar," Ukyo got to her feet, "I can handle this by myself. You just wait here and leave it all to me, Sugar."

"So Ukyo say," Shampoo frowned, "But this one no like it."

"I don't need a couple of protectors you know," Ukyo called over her shoulder as she headed for the door, "I've been taking care of myself a lot longer than you can know. So...what d'you wanna say to me, Tall stuff?"

Tatewaki Kuno at once bowed all the way until his head touched the floor and kept his eyes on the ground as he replied, "Forgive me...I know that I am to blame for what happened. It was my incredible foolishness that caused a loss of face for you, and for that I most humbly crave that you accept my sincere apology. I know that what I have done can never be forgiven..."

"Uhuh," Ukyo said levelly, regarding the young man with a level expression, "You got that right...but on the other hand...I know you didn't want it going that far, and you did try to put a stop to thing...but can I really expect you never to pull a stunt like that again?"

"If I could take it all back I most certainly would," Kuno replied, "I was in error, I had thought you still an enemy who was threatening my true love, I did not take the time to...study the matter in more detail. I only thought to...instruct you in the folly of attacking the Tendos. How was I to know that my actions would cause you to spurn the affections of men altogether?"

"Excuse me?" Ukyo arched and eyebrow.

"When we first spoke, you and I, I was under the distinct impression that you intended to vent your wrath against Saotome for the wrong he did to you. I did warn you that spending time with the younger Tendo sister might encourage...less womanly behavior to come to the surface, but for me to be the one who forced you into their embrace..."

"HEY!" Akane protested, nearly lurching forward save that Cologne thrust her staff into her way.

"...I only ask that you not spurn all men on account of me," Kuno continued, "I know that Tendo Akane can be a most...persuasive influence...but she never holds her interest for very long in a single place, so there is little to be concerned of her forming a permanent attachment..."

"But that's...!" Akane started to protest when she glanced at Ukyo and felt immediately crestfallen.

"...So...sooner or later, you will be alone again and need comforting from a partner," Kuno went on as if not interrupted, "And when that time comes you will doubtless have many potential opportunities for romance as you are fair to the eye and are a passably good chef. Do not, I urge, disdain all men on the basis of my poor example..."

"As if one example of bad mans not enough," Shampoo tartly sniffed.

"I dunno, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "I appreciate you comin' down here and all, and I guess it's true that not all guys got one thing only on their mind...but what about you?"

"I...beg your pardon?" Kuno asked.

"You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?" Ukyo replied, "And can I believe you really have seen the light and won't try something else with some other girl?"

"I...I wish that I could say with certainty that I have truly learned my way..." Kuno said somewhat reluctantly.

"Right," Ukyo smiled, discovering that she no longer even felt a mild resentment towards the other boy as she continued, "So what about Kasumi?"

"I..." Kuno faltered.

"I'm not completely at ease about the whole Tendo clan, y'know," Ukyo pointed out, "But the older sister deserves better than to have some wannabe pretender hassling her. I owe that much to Akane."

"I...yes...I see," Kuno reluctantly conceded.

"Think about it, and maybe then I'll talk about forgiving you, Sugar," Ukyo nodded, "You and me got something in common...we're both descended from a long line of warriors, you Samurai, me...the darker half. That why I know that I can trust you if you give your word that you'll behave yourself and try not to be such a pain around Kasumi."

"I did not know that you were so concerned for her welfare," Kuno duly noted.

"Frankly...I don't what I feel about her, or Nabiki for that matter," Ukyo frowned, "Fact is...they're still my rivals, and I ain't totally given up my stakes on Ranchan. Y'all might consider him your rival, but he's still my iinazuke."

"I see," Kuno said, considering the matter, "Very well, I will...attempt to mind my manners in pursuing my suit of her. But you are right...Saotome Ranma is my rival, and only a blind fool could fail to see that he has wormed his charm over the sisters, both Nabiki and my own beloved. I cannot promise to refrain from challenging him to honorable combat."

"Just as long as it's honorable," Ukyo folded her arms, "Your word on it?"

"I have already given it to you," Kuno continued to keep his eyes downcast, "I will...act in accordance with what I know to be honorable for one of my noble lineage."

"Fine," Ukyo said, "Then I forgive you, Sugar."

Kuno straightened up with a fluidity that spoke well for his training, then he regarded the slender girl before him and said, "I mean what I said when I call you fair, Kuonji-san. It would be a most remarkable man who would earn your hand, and a brave one as well. Perhaps I should encourage you to take Saotome for a husband...it would make matters much easier for me not to have to compete with him at all. Good day to you, Ninja-san. I hope that we never meet as enemies in battle."

With that he turned around and walked away, leaving Ukyo to smile as she eyed him from behind, then-just as he was about to move beyond earshot-she called out in a sultry purr, "By the way...nice butt you got there, Lord Kuno."

Tatewaki stiffened, then continued forward, and one could almost imagine seeing his cheeks reddened, though that might just have been an affect of the angle of the sunlight pouring down on him from above.

"Oho," a suspicious voice murmured into Ukyo's ear, "So you find him handsome, huh?"

"Is Spatula girl thinking of making play for tall stick boy?" Shampoo asked archly, the both of them positioned ominously close to her backside.

Ukyo hastily turned around and made deflecting motions with her hands, "Don't be silly! Of course I'm not gonna go nuts for a poetry-spouting romantic like that. I mean, what's he got that a girl could want in a guy besides looks, charm, money and influence? Besides, he did beat me fair and square in that fight..."

"So, you really are going soft on Kuno, are you?" Akane glowered.

"Spatula girl no make joke on that," Shampoo scowled, "You want marry tall boy because he okay fighter? You could do much, much better than that..."

"Why, Sugar," Ukyo leered, "Y'all sound like you're maybe a little jealous, is that it?"

"I'll show you jealous, you Tease..." Akane started to growl when Cologne spoke up to distract them.

"My...what's taking that boy so long? Ryoga should have been back by now..."

"W-What?" Ukyo blinked.

"Ryoga?" Akane turned around with an incredulous expression.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo made a sudden realization, "Great-Grandmother...you sent lost boy in search of box of ramen?"

Cologne audibly blinked then said, "Oh my...did I err? Must be getting senile in my old age..."

"Ryoga...you Jackass!" Ukyo cried as she balled her fists in frustration, "Where did you go and get yourself lost at THIS TIME...?"

At that moment, many, many miles away...

"WHERE AM I THIS TIME?" Ryoga demanded, wondering aloud why it was so cold in the back of the old ghoul's restaurant, and who in their right mind let penguins walk around loose this time of year? And where did all those white mountains come from? It sure did not look like any part of Nerima that he had ever been to lately...

Meanwhile, back in Nerima proper.

Purge watched the tall boy walk away from the restaurant with his shoulders straight, his head held high and a look of resolute determination in his expression, and the lizard man smiled, sensing that his moment was near at hand. He had only to await his opportunity...and then...then they would see the true nature of this human boy named Kuno Tatewaki, and when Purge had taken his true measure...then let the Jedi tremble as they met his once and future apprentice...

And as he thought this he gave a soft, sibilant chuckle, and-on the other side of town-Trieste paused as if hearing his voice and turned to glance his way with an ominous tremble, shuddering slightly and dreading for the future...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Dark Horizons Unlimited: shadowmane

Will Purge make good on his intentions towards Kuno, and will Trieste be able to do anything about it? Does their meeting with Miss Hinako mean troubled times are ahead of Ranma and the rest of the Nerima study body, and will Akane like being labeled a "Delinquent?" For these and other mysteries of science, tune in for our next big chapter: "High Goon," or "Showdown at the Okonomiyaki Corral." Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	21. Chapter 21

Jedi Kasumi21

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Twenty-One.  
(Legal Drinking Age Limit,  
Under Seventeen Not Admitted)

Dark Lord's Revival

Having encountered a new challenge in the form of the mysterious Teacher-disciplinarian known as Hinako Ninamiya, Ranma and Kasumi return home from their two-  
day training mission, little suspecting the new wealth of troubles that will shortly be awaiting their return to the Tendo dojo...

Ukyo Kuonji and Ryoga Hibiki, however, are just settling in to their new life helping out at the restaurant that has been set up by Shampoo's great-grandmother, the mysterious Amazon Elder known only as Cologne of the Joketsuzoku. However,  
while performing a simple task, Ryoga appears to have gotten lost once again, which has somewhat distressed Ukyo and her two amorous suitors, the Force Master Adepts named Akane and Shampoo...

Meanwhile, Darth Purge,  
having set his sights on the youth named Tatewaki Kuno,  
seeks out the young Kendoist with the intent of recruiting him over to the Dark side of the Force...

The growing sense that he was being followed caused Tatewaki to frown with concern in his expression. In no other way did he give hint that he knew that he was being stalked by an unknown party, but the Samurai that was in his blood caused his senses to go on full alert as he approached his ancestral manner, knowing at any second that his unknown foe would make their presence known very shortly.

"You have good instincts, Kuno-san," a gravely voice remarked from directly ahead of his position, "I see that I was right about you."

Kuno halted in place and faced directly ahead with his head lowered in stern concentration.

"Show yourself," Kuno spoke aloud, "Who dares approach Kuno Tatewaki?"

"I dare," Darth Purge said as he revealed himself, seeming to step out of empty air into full view where there had not been the least hint of his former position, "You know me, of course..."

"I remember you," Kuno bristled slightly, "You come like a thief to present yourself to me now, but you will not find Kuno Tatewaki unprepared for an altercation."

"I am pleased to hear this," Purge hissed in dark humor, "I saw your performance in front of my former apprentice. It would seem that you gave her cause to take quarrel with you, but out of mercy she refrained from demanding your head in atonement for your actions."

"I see," Kuno's eyes narrowed, "And you think her act of mercy was a weakness?"

"A truth Sith would never be so forgiving for a wrong done to them," Purge replied, "Disappointment she may be, but Ukyo was my student and I raised her myself for the past decade. An insult done to her is an insult done to the Sith..."

"And you have come to collect on that debt?" Kuno squared his footing, "Normally I would apologize to you for the insult that I unintentionally rendered, but whereas I respected Kuonji and sought her forgiveness, I do not have cause to similarly respect you, nor do I feel inclined to apologize to the one who seeks to harm my true love, Kasumi."

"You speak as if the woman were yours to possess, but we both know that this is not the case, Kuno-san," Purge softly hissed, "You fancy yourself a warrior, let us put that claim to the test."

"You mean your puny flashlight against my blade?" Kuno smiled.

"It would not be a fair fight, or near as enjoyable for me, if I were to task you with a lightsaber," Purge replied, producing a bokken from seeming nowhere, "I believe that a duel with your own preferred weapon would be a more interesting, don't you agree?"

"It is gratifying to learn that you do possess a semblance of honor," Kuno said as he drew his own bokken and stood at the ready, "But you will discover that I am more than you can hope to defeat in a fair match at arms."

"We will see about that," Purge hissed, "Have at you!"

And with that the massive lizard man leaped to the attack as Kuno responded with his wooden sword already in motion...

"I wonder if Mom's gonna help out with the cooking," Ranma mused, "I'm starving."

"You are always hungry in one way or another, Ranma-kun," Kasumi noted with amusement as they approached her family estate, "If it's not food it is knowledge that you hunger for, and new ways of mastering the art, I have noticed."

"Heh, yeah, well..." Ranma replied a bit sheepishly, "If it ain't one it's the other with me. Been like that all the while that Pop and me were training together, and I guess old habits are hard to break..."

"You have come far and made much progress in your studies, Ranma-kun," Kasumi observed, "But sooner or later you will learn that there is more to life than merely feeding the body. There is the food we take in to feed the soul that truly enriches us, and in that capacity...I regret to say that your father most probably will never understand this.""

"Yeah, Ranma admitted sadly, "Afraid your right about that, Kasumi. With the Old Man it's always his stomach first and everything else second, including the art. I still can't get over the way he's sold me out over and over again just to feed his fat belly. Like...don't the fact that I'm his son mean anything to him?"

"Your father does take pride in you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi noted, "And justly so. You are everything he ever set out to accomplish in the martial arts and more...in fact, you have surpassed him in so many ways that it is doubtful that he has that much more to teach you."

"Probably not considering he don't know any of the stuff that you've been showing me, Kasumi," Ranma said as he regarded his lovely companion with a sidelong glance and tried not to be too obvious that he was noticing her in a way that less like a student then as a young man might study the profile of any beautiful woman, "I wanna thank you for taking me out and showing me this stuff. I never knew how far I had to go to get better in a fight, but you sure surprised me a lot today, so...um...thanks..."

Despite herself Kasumi felt a thrill of emotion wash through her at both the compliment and the more overt interest that her iinazuke was displaying towards her. She had to own up to the fact that she had been more than passingly aware of his company the whole time that they had been descending from their campsite in the mountains and that the more time she spent around him the less certain she became of her own emotions. Her feelings had such intensity whenever she was near him, and she had caught herself more than once contemplating the idea of teaching him a lot more than simply about her Jedi training.

"It has been my...sincerest pleasure...to assist you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi carefully responded, "You are a very adept student, even more alert and adept than Shampoo, and I am amazed at the progress that you are making the more your practice the Force. I have every confidence that you will continue to improve, in fact...oh my!"

"Huh?" Ranma sensed the sudden shift in the older girl's attention from him towards another source, and as he looked further down the street where they were walking he discovered the reason, and with a start of his own he said, "Hey...what's that car doing in front of your house? Man...that thing is huge!"

"I believe it is called a stretch limousine, Ranma-kun," Kasumi remarked, "But why is it there? Are we having visitors over tonight?"

"Not unless they're royalty or something," Ranma frowned slightly, "Or maybe it's that guy, Kuno, coming over to bug you again."

Kasumi sighed, "I certainly hope that it is nothing like that. Tatewaki is a very nice boy...most of the time...but his interest in me...I'm afraid I...do not share it..."

"Hey, if he tries to bother you just leave him to me," Ranma scowled, "I'll pound that poetry-spouting fool into next week, especially after what I heard he tried to pull with Ucchan..."

"Oh my, that did sound rather extreme even for him..." Kasumi started to say when a sound off to their right distracted them both.

"Meow?"

"GAH!" Ranma started, seeing a dreaded alleycat popping up from a nearby alley, and without pausing to think of what he was doing he all but jumped into Kasumi's arms, hugging her tightly in spontaneous terror.

"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed again, not having braced herself for such an intimate gesture, even granted that she could make allowances for Ranma's peculiar...condition. Being closely held by the quivering boy sent a wholly unexpected shiver up her spine and caused her cheeks to flush crimson as she became totally aware of her fianc e's young and virile body pressed close to her own, as well as the sense of absolute need for such closeness.

For several minutes nothing else seemed to be happened in the entire world, for everything else was frozen in a timestop while Kasumi felt the beating of her heart quicken to twice her normal pulserate, and in that moment she became completely open to everything that there was to know about her iinazuke...his history, his thoughts, his past, his present and some vague glimpses of the future. She sensed her own existence in his future, found herself visualizing the two of them engaged in the most intimate and affectionate embraces as they each explored the other's body, and with that warming sense of a connection that only true lovers can know as their spirits touch and they become as one in soul and body, each an extension of the others existence. She knew the aroma of his body, the trace-lines of long-healed scars that were both internal and external, the power and potential that he represented, and the hope of a new life, a new future that was beckoning with a look of total invitation...

For Ranma the experience was one of coming down from a terrified state into the welcome embrace of the tall girl who was holding him with a gentle strength that felt as comforting as the arms of a mother. He was suddenly and completely aware of her and the slender wand of feminine mystery that she represented by her very existence. He marveled that she could feel so fragile and yet so powerful, that there was so much warmth and life coursing through her body, and that she felt more real to him than flesh and blood alone. Her scent was the perfume of wildflowers and honeysuckle, from the silken softness of her hair to the press of her flawless cheek against his own and the sense that he could utterly trust her, that she would never let him down or betray him, never fail his trust and would never turn away in disdain for his many weaknesses. For her he did not need the illusion of strength that he tried to hard to project around others, for her he could be a child and never fear for rejection.

With that in mind his Nekophobia melted away the morning dew, leaving him conscious only of her body in his arms, of holding her close while his shudders subsided and he started to feel normal again...only not quite normal as there was something wrong with him...his pulse was racing and a different kind of fear had replaced his former terror...

And suddenly he became aware of a potential future with the two of them together, embracing each other with no clothing on either of their bodies. Her touch was like fire burning him with ice and molten lava, and her flesh felt surprisingly soft and supple, so thin and graceful yet so strong even in yielding, and as they kissed each other everywhere in the most intimate of places he felt a need to possess her that was a far stronger urge than any physical hunger that he had ever experienced before in his life...

For a moment the drift of these thoughts halted in both of them as the two of them locked eyes together, Kasumi looking wonderingly at Ranma, Ranma looking back with absolute amazement. No words were spoken as they continued to stare as though never having truly looked at one another before, but then this quiet tableau was broken by the clearing of a throat. With a guilty start they both turned to see Nabiki standing off slightly to one side with her arms folded over her chess and a very cross expression written plain on her lovely features.

"Enjoy your training time, you two?"

"Huh-ah..." Ranma hastily let Kasumi go, who stood where she was feeling somewhat bewildered at the shifting focus of her mind, then turned a guilty look towards her younger sister.

"N-Nabiki..." she ventured.

"We need to talk, Sis," Nabiki's tone was flinty, "We have company, in case you failed to notice."

"Um..." Ranma felt the oddest need to apologize, but he did not know what for as he swallowed and said, "N-Nuh...an...Nabiki?"

"You're gonna have to work on your cat-phobia, Ranma-kun," Nabiki growled, "I could feel the jolt you sent all the way across the yard, which is how I knew I'd find you here clinging to Kasumi's apron. I'd make an issue of it right now except that we got trouble...so tell me, you ever hear of some guy named Daikoku?"

"Daikoku?" Ranma repeated, "Who the heck is that?"

"That is what I thought," Nabiki nodded without a change of expression, "And it's why I'm too angry at your Dad to be upset with you two. I've got so much of a ration of disgust to wallow in at one time, and your Dad's hogged my daily quota..."

"What?" Ranma blinked, "What...what the hell as that Old Man done this time...?"

"Oy, is that the Saotome boy I hear?" a jovial male voice called out as a heavyset figure appeared at the gates of the Tendo compound, "Hey, Ranma, my son! It's you at last..."

"Hah?" Ranma blinked, "Say what...?"

"Come here, my Boy!" the burly man with the impossibly large ears threw his arms around Ranma as Nabiki and Kasumi hastily moved back to escape his reach, hugging Ranma closely while the pigtailed boy tried to make sense of this bizarrely dressed stranger holding him tightly enough to threaten his ribcage.

"Guh-lemme go!" Ranma urged, "I can't breathe..."

"Ranma dear?" his mother called out, causing heads to turn towards Nodoka...and the white-clad figure treading meekly beside her.

"Huh?" Ranma gasped as the burly man released him, "What...what's up, Mom?"

"This gentleman has brought over yet another fianc e for you, Son," Nodoka replied brightly, "And isn't she a beautiful? Her name is Daikoku Kaori."

There was a very brief pause before Kasumi and Ranma said together, "FIANCEE...?"

"Thanks for walking back with me to my place, guys," Akane cheerfully remarked as she sent coy looks to her two companions, "What a waste of time that was trying to hunt down that Ryoga..."

"You said it, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "He's nothing but trouble...but still...he stuck by me this long, and I guess I do kinda worry a bit when he gets lost in the darndest places..."

"This one is certain that he is not anywhere in Nerima," Shampoo added, "It hard to sense those who walk in path of Dark side, but him boy who leave trail that blind Musk warrior could follow, or Mousse without his glasses..."

"Yeah, and he's so sensitive too," Akane complained, "And takes everything so literally..."

"You get used to that after a while," Ukyo shrugged, "One thing you can say about Ryoga, he's pretty reliable in a predictable, manic-depressive sort of way. As long as you don't give him a job too complicated-which means anything requiring a sense of directions-he'll carry it out to the letter come hell or high water."

"Is useful for soldier but no good for warrior," Shampoo remarked, "No be able to think beyond fighting. Need more than this to make good husband."

"Yeah," Akane agreed, "I'd sure feel sorry for the girl who winds up becoming his girlfriend," then she smiled at Ukyo and said, "So...do you like him?"

"What?" Ukyo reacted.

"Does Spatula Girl like clueless Lost Boy," Shampoo clarified, "Is simple enough question."

"Yeah," Akane said, "And if you ask me, he looks like he's awfully sweet on you, Ucchan. He's a lot nicer with you than he is with anybody else so far..."

"Is almost like he want secretly be Ukyo's boyfriend," Shampoo added with a coy insinuation.

"Cut it out you two," Ukyo winced, "We're just...uh...well...friends, that's all...I mean...we trained together..."

"And that's a good reason for him to think you're kind of special, Ucchan," Akane pointed out, "And after all, you are kinda nice towards him, so can you blame the guy if he possibly likes you?"

"You're imagining things!" Ukyo protested, "And-anyway-why do either of you care?"

"Huh?" Akane blinked.

"What mean you that?" Shampoo wondered.

"You know full well what I mean," Ukyo growled at her two companions, "Just because you've both had your way with me do you think that means you know me? And now that you've had your fun..."

"You think we're tired of you already?" Akane shot back, "Do you really think we're that shallow?"

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo softly murmured as she shook her head, "This one overestimate you, Spatula Girl, think you much, much smarter than that."

"Yeah," Akane growled, "You think just because we've convinced you to have sex with us that we're now gonna just toss you over?"

"Well, isn't that what you two usually do once you've had your way?" Ukyo asked, "That Kuno guy..."

"Kuno," Akane growled the word as though it were distasteful, "He never did even try to understand me, always making these leaps of assumption because I don't fall over basking in his glory, and just because I did it one time with his sister he goes and makes up this stuff about me being a rake..."

"Well...aren't you?" Ukyo asked in a reasonably level tone of voice.

"Ucchan," Akane turned and looked at the girl walking along beside her, "How could you believe something like that about me? Don't you know me at all by now? I'm not just out to score like you were another notch in my belt. Sure...I've dated a few girls in my time...okay, more than a few, but still..."

"The way that Kuno makes it sound I almost think you've slept with half the girls at Furinkan," Ukyo noted.

"Half the girls at school?" Akane sounded a bit more nervous as she grumbled, "I wish...maybe a few here and there, like...a few in our class..."

"A few?" Ukyo cocked an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe half the girls in class," Akane shrugged, "But that's because I know most of them, and the rest...well...they're just a little shy is all. But I didn't do it just so I could brag about it. I've been looking around, hoping to find a special somebody that I could really click with. We'd get together, maybe hang out for a while, then I'd make my move and really hope I don't get my face slapped..."

"You think any girl at Furinkan would have the nerve to slap you?" Ukyo arched an eyebrow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Akane frowned.

"Well, I haven't been around that long," Ukyo admitted, "But I'm sensitive enough to tell that some of the girls in our class look up to you like you were some kind of a hero, and some are just afraid of you. I really can't see any one of them having the courage to reject you if you got really, really pushy about it..."

"I'd never force myself on anyone, Ucchan," Akane insisted, then another pause before she relented, "Well...except Kodachi, but she started it by dropping in on me, so..."

"I really hate to belabor the point, Sugar," Ukyo said, "But what you two guys did to me the other day was the next best thing to rape..."

"You is still on that?" Shampoo huffed, "Maybe Shampoo no give Ukyo the option of refuse, but Spatula Girl no make much protest when she start receiving pleasures."

"That's because whatever you did to me drove me so far out of my mind that I was too far gone before I knew it," Ukyo pointed out, "I was still in shock about being nearly raped and you took advantage of me, and the next thing I know I'm having orgasm after orgasm."

"Ukyo," Akane said more quietly, "Are you really upset with us over that?"

"Maybe not upset," Ukyo conceded, "And maybe I'm even a little grateful. I never knew it could be like that with another girl before, and I can't complain about your technique. It just bothers me that you two could be so casual about doing that with a girl who wasn't even of a mind to fight back. I mean, technically, what you did was the equivalent of getting a girl drunk at a party..."

"So maybe Shampoo take advantage because she think you need pleasures," Shampoo pointed out, "Maybe no best way to help Spatula Girl cope with problem, but this one no think of better way, and think you need good screw from moment she meet you."

"Yeah," Akane agreed, "I've felt the same way from the beginning, Ucchan. Almost from the start I felt like you needed someone to turn your life around, and I wanted to be that someone...but I was willing to wait for it, right up until it seemed like the right thing to do at the time..."

"Which...brings us kinda back full circle," Ukyo sighed, "How do I know you two aren't just gonna dump me now that you've got me where you want me?"

"Is that what Ukyo is afraid of?" Shampoo cooed, "No think this one get tired of you yet. This one think you very fun to have around, and no done having pleasures with Ukyo's nice-nice body."

"Yeah, and I'm not done with you either," Akane said with surprising fierceness, "You're special to both of us, Ucchan...and not just because we've been having fun the last few days either. I think you're a very special kind of person, I always have, and you've got a terrific body, and you're so feminine when you let your hair down, and you're so nice when you're not angry all the time, and..."

"Ah...Sugar?" Ukyo colored, "I get the point. So...you really wanna hang around with me some more, huh?"

"Absolutely!" Akane nodded, "I've waited a long time to meet someone like you, and now that I've found you I'm not giving you up, even if I have to fight for the pleasure with a guy like that Ryoga."

"No have to fight," Shampoo coyly pointed out, "Could have much-much pleasures with boy in mixture, if Spatula girl really do go both way."

"What?" Ukyo blinked, coloring even more, "You don't mean...?"

"Naw," Akane said, "He'd probably pass out from a major nose bleed if that guy even saw a naked woman. I found out the other day just how shy he is when he walked in on me while I was taking a bath..."

"YOU WHAT?" Ukyo reacted.

"Hey, it wasn't deliberate or anything," Akane insisted, "And I'm sure he didn't do it deliberately either. I don't even like boys, but when he took one look at me he went right to the floor in a fainting spell, and I had to Elder Cologne's help just to put him to bed because you were out shopping for noodles with Shampoo..."

"Was not only think we shop for," Shampoo leered, giving Ukyo a look that made the other girl's blush even more crimson.

"If you don't cut that out I think I'm the one whose gonna get a nosebleed, Sugar," Ukyo said as she glanced away while the memory of that "shopping trip" came vividly to mind, and how she had ever let the purple haired Amazon steer her over into that sex shop to look over their dildo and vibrator collection...and then make the colossal mistake of letting Shampoo "try her out" for different sizes on the way back from the parlor, and the naughty sense of risking getting caught doing that in the alley that the Amazon selected...

"You're kidding, right?" Akane asked as she looked almost accusingly at Shampoo, "And you didn't invite me?"

"You no around at time," Shampoo shrugged, "And was good way to see if Shampoo make good strap-on selection."

"Can we...change the subject a little?" Ukyo pleaded, "We're almost back to your place and unless you guys mean to broadcast everything to your family...I mean...we're all telepaths here, right?"

"Hey, that's right," Akane blinked, looking a bit sheepish, "And I don't know if I'm ready yet to make any announcement to my family..."

"A-Announcement?" Ukyo blinked, "What...?"

All at once Akane latched herself to Ukyo's arm and leaned her head against the other girl's shoulder, "To tell them that we're going steady...if that's what both of us want..."

"S-S-STEADY?" Ukyo blurted and might have jumped away if not for Shampoo moving in to take her by her other arm.

"Spatula Girl really sly one," the Amazon teased, "Get Akane to make big confession that she have deep-deep feelings for you. Maybe Ukyo want Akane deep down admit she like you, and you like Akane. Maybe Shampoo one who get jealous."

"Cut it out you two," Ukyo felt her cheeks burning once again, "People might be looking..."

"So?" Akane asked, "Let them stare. You think I'm afraid to be seen with a beautiful woman?"

"And Ukyo dress enough like man that some maybe think is man at distance," Shampoo purred sweetly, "See Ukyo and think, there go lucky man who have two good looking girl holding arms, lucky devil..."

"What am I gonna do with you two-huh?" Ukyo looked up again and saw the group that was gathered outside the Tendo dojo and said, "Ranchan?"

"What about-huh?" Akane turned, also taking notice of the gathering outside her family's gates, "What's going on there?"

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo softly averred, "That really big car...who drive that?"

"I dunno, Sugar," Ukyo said, "Some bigshot who can afford a stretch limo, you know anyone with that much scratch?"

"No," Akane replied, "It's bigger than the one the Kuno family drives, but...what do they want with my family anyhow?"

"Let find out," Shampoo urged as the three girls approached with appropriately wary expressions.

The first thing the two Jedi Force Masters and Sith Apprentice picked up on right away were the waves of intense emotion coming from Nabiki as the girl stood glaring at someone else who stood a bit apart from the others in a white Shinto-styled wedding outfit while a heavyset man with incredibly big ears was doing most of the talking. Kasumi and Ranma both seemed equally stunned by some revelation that they had obviously just been exposed to, while there a mixed run of conflicting emotions flowing around each of the parents as though some matter of great interest was at issue.

They heard Akane's father declaring his position with stern resolve, "I am sorry...but Ranma is pledged to marry one of my two daughters in order to unite our houses, and I can't accept your daughter's petition to be valid..."

"That is most unfortunate," the short, burly man replied (and at close range the girls could now see that he was an impeccable dresser), "Because I cannot accept another betrothal as being more valid than the one that Saotome Genma and I agreed to when both our children were still babies. You talk about the honor of your dojo, well...how is that more valid than the honor of the Daikoku Ryu? Do you think that my family's pride is of any lesser importance?"

"I am sorry," Soun repeated again, "But my stand is final. Ranma will marry one of my daughters and no other..."

"And just like that I am supposed to accept this?" the other man replied, "You realize, of course, that I could pursue this as a legal matter, and-no offence-but I can afford much better attorneys."

"That does not change the fact that the agreement between me and Saotome-san predates your claim by at least two years," Soun said firmly, "And you extracted your promise from Saotome when he was at wits end, under incredible duress..."

"A bargain is a bargain, Tendo-san," the other man said firmly, "Or should we ask Mrs. Saotome here for her opinion?"

"Well," Nodoka replied, "I for one am happy to discover that my son has yet another lovely potential suitor, but it is true that Ranma can only marry one of these girls, so...I am reluctant to decide. On the issue of honor I must find that both claims are valid..."

"Dearest?" Genma asked with a look that hinted strongly of dismay.

"...Which means that you and your daughter are entitled to due consideration," Nodoka continued, turning to favor her son with a smile, "It would please me either way of Ranma were to decide which of these lovely girls is to become his fianc e?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Now wait a minute...!"

The white-clad girl leaned forward and whispered something to her father, too low-voiced to be overheard by the others, and her father nodded and said, "My daughter has made a suggestion that I think would be of use here. Would you like to hear it?"

"We would be delighted to hear the suggestions of such a proper young lady," Kimiko spoke up before her husband could voice protest, "Isn't that right...Dearest?"

"Uh...y-yes...of course," Soun reluctantly conceded.

The girl whispered to her father again then the man smiled brightly and said, "It just so happens that there will be a delivery race in two days during the autumn festival. The prize is a year's supply of ramen noodles..."

"Ramen?" Genma spoke up with interest, only to subside once again as he was glared down by Nabiki, Kasumi and Ranma.

"...If you would like to put this matter to the test over which of our schools is the more worthy," the fat little man said in a pleasant, confident tone of voice, "Then my daughter, Kaori, will race against your girls to determine which of them will be the better fianc e."

"What a splendid idea," Nodoka said, "Isn't that a very clever and useful suggestion, Tendo-san?"

"Ah...yes," Soun said, frowning slightly as he said, "A year's supply you say? And the winner takes all?"

"Daddy!" Nabiki cried in hurt protest.

"That is exactly so," the burly man replied, "Your daughters and my Kaori will race for the hand of Saotome Ranma and take home a years supply of Ramen as extra incentive. Two days, Tendo-san...may I trust that you will accept these terms?"

"Of course," Soun replied, "I'll never give up Ranma, nor will I give up a year of Ramen either."

"I feel the exact same way," the shorter man smiled ominously, "Good day to you then, Tendo-san, Saotome-san, Lady Trieste. And good day to you too, my Son, Ranma."

"Hah?" Ranma blinked, "W-What just happened?"

"I think you have just been wagered as the stakes of a competition, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said somewhat reluctantly.

"Yeah, and what's the big idea, Daddy?" Nabiki demanded, "Ranma's our fianc e! How can you agree to risk him like...huh?"

She turned to see the girl named Kaori standing there in her white wedding dress, her face all but invisible save for the lower half where a predatory smile was showing, and then a pair of eyes gleamed from beneath the shadows before the girl turned around and demurely walked over to the car to join her father.

"What the heck is going on here?" Akane demanded.

"You got me, Sugar," Ukyo scowled, "And who the heck is that floozy, and why does she think she has a right to be Ranchan's fianc e?"

"Is good question," Shampoo turned and bowed to Trieste, "Honored Elder..."

"Not here," Trieste waved to the Amazon then said, "Everyone to the dojo. We are going to plot a war council."

"I could not have put it better myself," Kimiko said in total agreement, "Husband? You too, Nodoka."

"Yes Dear," Soun replied meekly.

"But of course," Nodoka agreed, then added without turning around, "You too, Husband."

Genma slumped his shoulders and softly murmured, "I'm a dead man..."

"You got that right, Old Man!" Ranma bristled, coming out of his daze as the familiar sense of anger replaced his momentary confusion, "How the hell could you do a thing like that to me? And for a bowl of rice? Is that all I'm worth to you?"

"I also had a fish and a pickle," Genma said plaintively, "Your father isn't made of stone, Boy..."

"You're not my father!" Ranma snapped, "No old man who sells his son for a meal...!"

"Ranma," Nodoka said gently-yet-firmly, "It is not a manly thing to upbraid your father. That is for your mother to decide his fate."

"All right, Mom," Ranma sulked as he followed his parents into the dojo, glancing sidelong at Kasumi and Nabiki before giving a sheepish nod in Ukyo's direction.

"Dad," Akane said once everyone had taken their seats, "Who the heck was that and what's this all about?"

"Patience Child," Trieste softly urged, "All will be made known to you in time."

"It had better," Ukyo glowered, flashing in her mind the memory of the girl in the white wedding dress, and the growing sense of deja-vu that made her glare in Genma's direction.

"Now then," Kimiko began, assuming a tone of authority that her husband gladly yielded, "As we understand the matter, around about fifteen or so years ago, during an early phase of Ranma's training, his father stumbled weak and weary into the campsite of a man named Daikoku Hiryu, whom you just saw a moment ago, and struck a bargain with him that resulted in young Ranma becoming betrothed to his daughter, Kaori."

"Wait a minute," Akane growled, "You mean Uncle Saotome sold his son out for a bowl of rice and pickles?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked, "Is almost as bad as him steal cart of Okonomiyaki."

"You got that right, Sugar," Ukyo declared, pausing briefly to mentally note that this time the Amazon had actually pronounced it right, "This sounds like the same stunt the sneaky bastard pulled with my father..."

"I will not defend my husband's actions with you, Kuonji-san," Nodoka replied, "And it is true that our family is still indebted to yours over this issue...but in all truth I am not sorry to learn that my son has yet another beautiful girl who wants to marry him. From a mother's perspective it is a joy to learn that Ranma is so manly and will no doubt make one of you young girls a very virile husband..."

"But Mom," Ranma protested, "I don't even know this...Daikoku girl! The only girls I...well...know like that are Nabiki and Kasumi...and maybe even Ucchan..."

"Gee, thanks," Ukyo replied, "It's so nice that you remembered I'm hear, Ranchan."

"Hey, come on!" Ranma protested, "You know what I mean!"

"Do I now?" Ukyo replied, "And just how well do you know me...Sugar?"

"Ah...well..." Ranma winced.

"For ten years now I've been your fianc e," Ukyo growled, "And until recently you didn't even know that I was a woman."

"Hey, the Old Man never-!"

"Oh, grow a spine will you?" Akane blurted out, "Take some responsibility once in a while. You come in here and seduce my sisters and treat Ucchan like dirt and then expect sympathy because you got another girlfriend?"

"Ranma is very sly boy," Shampoo said with a sultry expression, "Little Brother think he very manly because girls throw selves at feet. This one never know you like that when you stay with us in Amazon village."

"Hey, that ain't funny, Shampoo!" Ranma winced, "How would you like it if guys kept coming onto you all the time? Besides...I never even said I wanted to get engaged to anyone in the first place..."

"What?" Nabiki rounded on him.

"What Ranma-kun means is that this is all very new to him," Kasumi explained, "He is still a young man with prospects and he was not planning to settle down this early in his life..."

"Oh, so now you know how he thinks, Sis?" Nabiki turned a glare upon her older sister.

"I...I am just saying..." Kasumi replied in tones that showed that the accusation had her off-balance.

"Kasumi is correct, Nabiki," Kimiko gently chided, "He is rather young to consider getting married. Most young men wait at least until after they have graduated from high school, and possibly even when he has gone onto college."

"From an economic advantage there is certainly a lot to be said about waiting," Trieste noted, "A young man such as Ranma would be better off establishing himself in a sound financial footing before taking on the responsibility of running a family of his own. Unfortunately...young people these days are not always that patient..." she sighed with a sly look at her apprentice.

"Hey, I can run a house just as good as you, Mom," Nabiki spoke up, "And if Ranma-kun is worried about his finances and what college he might go to..."

"Yes," Kasumi agreed, "And if it is a matter of taking care of a house, then I know my way around a kitchen and would be honored to provide for him. Ranma still has a few years to go before he can start to earn a living for himself, so it would make sense if Nabiki were on hand to serve as his financial advisor."

"What?" Nabiki turned a puzzled look on her older sister.

"I am saying that, if you want to marry him, Nabiki, then I agree that you would be a very good choice," Kasumi replied, then added softly, "I would rather that than see you unhappy, Little Sister..."

"And what of your wishes in this matter, Child?" Kimiko asked, "Do you think that Ranma-kun would make you a good husband?"

"Oh my..." Kasumi felt her cheeks burning and glanced down in clear embarrassment, not finding the words to convey her own swirling mix of emotions.

Nabiki continued to stare at Kasumi when Akane said, "If you guys want him so much then you can both have him, but I want to know what this means about his commitment to Ucchan."

"Yeah," Ukyo agreed, giving Akane a dubious glance before resuming, "Why do I get the short end of the stick here? I could make just as good a wife for Ranchan, and I know I could do well keeping house and cooking his meals and all that..."

"And I would be so happy to have you all for my daughters," Nodoka said grandly, "You each care so much about my son that it would be impossible for me to choose which of you would be the most deserving. That is why I have agreed to stage this contest with Mister Daikoku's daughter, to give you the opportunity of deciding among yourselves...that is, unless Ranma would like to state his preference here?"

"Hah?" Ranma blinked.

"If you decide to marry one of these three girls," Nodoka clarified, "Then I will tell Daikoku-san that the matter has been decided and he will have to accept my decision as Ranma's mother. Of course I know what a tremendous strain this would be for you, my Son, having to choose from three such fine examples of young womanhood...I only ask that you take into consideration which of them would make the best mother for your children."

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-children?" Ranma stammered.

"Kids?" Nabiki blinked.

"You mean...little rugrats?" Ukyo faintly murmured.

"Oh my," Kasumi blushed once again, "That is right...whichever one of us marries Ranma-kun...oh my...!"

"Why so surprised, Big Sister?" Shampoo asked, "Is great honor to be mother of children to strong warrior like Ranma."

"Oh dear," Nodoka chided herself, "How thoughtless of me, what was I thinking? I should have thought to include you on Ranma's lists of possible fianc es."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo's red eyes got noticeably rounder.

"Hey, wait a minute..." Akane protested.

"Oh, you could be included on the list too, Akane-chan," Nodoka amended, "I'm sure your mother would be delighted to have all three of her daughters competing for Ranma."

"More than you will ever know, Nodoka-san," Kimiko murmured faintly.

"Now just a second here!" Akane blurted out before remembering her manners, "I mean...no offense to you, Aunt Saotome, but there's no way that I want to have anything to do with this! I'm not after your son to marry him, and I wouldn't think of competing against my own sisters!"

"And this one is not wild about dating little brother," Shampoo agreed, "Even though he very strong and manly, he make fine warrior-husband and give many strong babies who bring great honor to family and..."

"Knock it off while you're ahead, Sugar," Ukyo growled, "At the rate you're going I'm starting to get jealous..."

"Now hold on here!" Ranma spoke up at last, "What's the rush about me marrying somebody and having kids and all that? I mean...want more time to think about this...is that too much to ask?"

"Boy," Genma spoke up, "When are you going to get it through your heard that it's not all about you?"

"Yes, don't be selfish, Son," Soun joined in, "You owe it to my daughters to make one of them a husband, and you owe it to the Anything Goes School to unite the families, so don't just think about yourself, think about Nabiki and Kasumi!"

"Daddy," Nabiki growled, "You're not helping."

"Ranma-kun deserves to make his own mind up over which of us he wants to marry," Kasumi said, then paused as if summoning her courage before adding, "If...if Ranma-kun were to choose me...or Nabiki...then...it would be for the better..."

"And me?" Ukyo asked as she glared at the older girl.

"Kuonji-san," Kasumi said carefully, "We...did not get off on a good footing together...but despite what you may think, I do not think ill of you. You spared Ranma-kun because you clearly care more about him than you were wedded to the Dark side...but I still have qualms about you seeking a relationship with Ranma-kun under present circumstances. You are still a Sith apprentice, regardless of what else may have happened to bring about a change in your nature, the fact remains that matters are not settled in your life and you are not yet ready to become the wife of a young man with special needs like Ranma."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo bridled, "You wanna see how much I've changed, Witch?"

"Calm down, Kuonji-san," Trieste urged forcefully, "Even you must concede that my Padawan raises a valid point. Your training to date has been to master ways of avenging your honor against young Master Ranma...are you truly prepared to turn around and embrace him as your husband?"

"Ah...well..." Ukyo hesitated when Nodoka came to her rescue.

"I know you've had your reasons to feel the way you did in the past, Kuonji-  
san," the Saotome matron urged, "But please do not give up on my son this early. I know that you have it within yourself to make a fine wife for Ranma, just as my good friend, Kimiko-san here, has done for her husband. Remember, Kimiko-  
chan? There was a time when you were less than happy about your engagement to Tendo-san..."

"Oh yes," Kimiko rolled her eyes, "I well remember..."

"Mom?" Akane blinked, surprised to learn this much about her mother.

"It was a long time ago, Child," Kimiko smiled, "Back during my days when I was still a part of the Self Defense Forces, a pilot no less. At the time I was happy in my career and had no thought to getting myself a husband, let alone settling down and having children, unlike Nodoka-chan here, who seemed to live for nothing else."

"But I was raised to appreciate the traditional roles of a woman in a domestic sense," Nodoka replied, "As well as to appreciate family obligations, while you could barely heat water without burning the pot."

"Oh yes, I remember well..." Kimiko rolled her eyes and chuckled at the memories that surfaced.

"Mom?" Akane blinked.

"You what?" Nabiki was incredulous.

"Oh my...is this true, Mother?" Kasumi asked.

"It's true, my Children," Kimiko replied, "I had a lot of growing up to do before I was fit to marry your father, but now, looking back, I'm so glad that I made the choice to give up piloting in order to have you. I have never been so fulfilled as being a mother and a wife, and while I do not say that my choices should be yours, you can take my word on it that you gain much more than you lose when you find yourselves proper husbands."

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked with rounded eyes.

"Oboy," Nabiki said as she considered the implications of being both a wife and a mother, particularly with Ranma as her husband.

"Yeah, whatever," Akane said more indifferently, not even having the stomach to imagine her life tethered down with any guy, let alone an obnoxious brat like Ranma.

"So, what I am saying to you, Kuonji-san, is that I would be honored to have you for my son's wife, if you prove worthy and can win his affections," Nodoka smiled at Ukyo, "Never lose heart over whatever obstacles are in the path between you and your dreams. The road to happiness is sometimes littered with unknown perils, but if your heart is true and your path is clear then you see your way through to the fulfillment of all your desires. If you can do that, then you will be worthy to marry my Ranma."

"Ah...okay," Ukyo said faintly, feeling all her remaining resentment drain away as she realized that her engagement to Ranma had just received official sanction.

"I don't see why you're still out to marry him," Akane groused, "You could do a lot better than that if you want a guy for a husband."

"This one think Akane is jealous," Shampoo teased.

"Jealous?" Akane bridled, "Over him? No way!"

"Methinks, little sister, that you protest too much," Nabiki observed dryly, "But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, don't forget that Daikoku-san still insists his kid's claim is also valid, and he struck me as the type of guy who doesn't take refusal easy."

"Oh my, yes, that is so," Kasumi nodded sadly, "I guess that means that we must compete against his daughter if we're going to invalidate her claim."

"No problem for me," Ukyo balled a fist, "If that lady thinks she can just come in here and muscle in on our turf, then she's gonna have to prove she can whip my tail first, and I intend to be the one who does all the whipping."

"This one believes that little brother Ranma could use some Amazon assistance," Shampoo smiled, "See if white-dressed girl is good enough to race against this one."

"Hey!" Ranma said, "I thought I had a say in this..."

"Do you want to pick a fight by choosing one of these girls, Boy?" Genma stage-  
whispered into his son's ear, "Better just play along and let them take it out on each other, that's the safest way to get through this thing alive, believe me."

"Ah..." Ranma actually considered the point, glancing at one girl than another and seeing each of their expressions, from Nabiki's fierce possessiveness to Kasumi's gentle longing, to Ukyo's strangely brooding expression and Shampoo's teasing wink, with Akane's glare closing up the package.

"Nabiki, Kasumi," Soun addressed his two older children, "I know you will do your best, so go out there and make your father proud."

"Which means don't let that other girl take away your shot at happiness, my Children," Kimiko translated, "Remember that the Anything Goes tradition is depending on you to show that Daikoku girl a thing or two about fianc es."

"You can count on us, Mom," Nabiki assured them, "And I won't let any fancy skirt in a wedding dress take away Ranma-kun."

"We'll all do our best, Mother," Kasumi nodded, "And we won't disappoint you, Father."

"If you guys are gonna make fools of yourselves over him, then I might as well join in myself," Akane glowered, "Not that I want anything to do with the baka, but if I can win that ramen for all of us, then you guys can decide among yourselves who's gonna get stuck playing housewife."

"Then it's decided," Nodoka smiled, "Train well, Daughters, in two days you go up against Daikoku-san's daughter and may the better fianc e win."

"Even if it kills me?" Ranma murmured before sighing, "I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"And you should always trust your feelings, young Master," Trieste gently advised him, not bothering to add that her own intuition was affirming her suspicions that this matter would lead to some interesting new complications, ones she hoped would bring her wards that much closer together though she secretly suspected that it could as easily tear them apart, depending on the choices to be made in the very near future...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Wacky Foot Races: shadowmane

The fight is on between Kaori and the Tendo sisters with Ukyo and Shampoo thrown into the mix, but who will win the delivery race and win the hand of both Ranma and the Ramen? (And what will Ranma do when faced with the prospect of marrying the winner?) Be with us next time for: "Ramen Rat Races," or, "A Spice in Thyme Saves Rhyme!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	22. Chapter 22

Jedi Kasumi22

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Twenty-Two.  
(Age of Legal Consent,  
Under Seventeen Not Allowed)

The Great Rat Chase

As though the romantic saga of Saotome Ranma were not complicated enough,  
onto the scene has entered yet another contender in the fianc e debacle, one Daikoku Kaori, heir to the Daikoku school of Martial Arts Delivery Take-Out,  
To issue her challenge to Ukyo and the Tendo sisters, Nabiki and Kasumi...

Having agreed to join in a race in order to determine which girl is best suited to remain Ranma's fianc e,  
they are joined by the Jedi Force Masters Shampoo and Akane, who have a very different agenda in mind,  
one that runs contrary to having Ukyo be the victor of these fianc e struggles...

Meanwhile the Dark Lord, Darth Purge, has resolved to test Kuno Tatewaki's potential as a possible new Padawan, replacing Ukyo as Apprenticed Sith Lord, even if it kills either him or his would-be successor...

"Hah, very good," Purge complimented, "Your technique is excellent and your reflexes are superb..."

"I need no compliments from the likes of you, Fiend," Kuno sneeringly replied, "Though you appear to be quite skilled in your own right, I will yet emerge the victor of this contest..."

"That remains to be seen," Purge mused as he deflected a series of wicked strikes that the young human male had unleashed upon him, then countered with his own offensive, one that drove Kuno immediately on the defensive.

"Argh-Fiend!" Kuno snarled, "You are strong, and fast for your size, but you face Tatewaki Kuno here, and I will yet gain the upper hand..."

"I find that highly unlikely," Purge remarked, "And I do not see that I should need to fear from the boasts of a man who cannot obtain the services of the female he covets."

"You dare bring that up?" Kuno raged, "Blackguard! I will smite thee for your insolence! To even sully the purity of the fair Kasumi by inference...!"

"It is not I who sully her, Fool," Purge hissed slyly, "I am not the hopeless puppy who wallows in drool hoping for a tidbit of affection from the woman who quite obviously spurns you, but then again you mammals are such slaves to your hormonal urges that I suppose that one could not blame you for trotting along at her heels hoping against all sanity that she will even notice..."

"DIIEEE!" Kuno shouted, calling upon his awesome powers to add further fire to his formidable skills, his wooden blade striking seemingly everywhere at once as Purge was forced to retreat a few paces, momentarily held on the defensive.

"Hah, that's more like it!" Purge sneered as he beat off Kuno's furious offensive, "I was beginning to think you were half asleep with the way you've been fighting. Come on and show me what you can really do, Baka! Or has lust for a female left you as weak as you are pathetic!"

"I am far above your taunting, Monster!" Kuno cried as he reared back and summoned up even more of his Ki-power, "I am your doom! Your destroyer!"

The solid sound of a clack of electricity attended the might blow that Kuno directed towards his foeman, and yet, though it seemed incredible, his attack was met and blocked by the towering Purge, who deflected that energy off his own bokken without seeming to flinch.

"Is that the best that you can do?" Purge hissed with a flicking of his forked tongue, "Come on...show me the power that you used to defeat my apprentice. Show me that you are a mighty warrior and not a love-besotted basket case..."

"You have asked for it, Hellspawn!" Kuno declared as he stepped back and drew his bokken into a ready stance, lowering the blade until it was almost touching the ground then raising it high again as the force of his Ki pooled and gathered within him. His form was almost crackling with static as he readied for his next attack, Kuno's eyes all but blazing with wrath as he stared hatefully at his foeman and readied himself for the lizard man's annihilation.

"Yes," Purge smiled, "That's it...I knew you had the potential..."

"I am more than you could ever imagine, Devil from the Pits!" Kuno snarled as he raised his power levels even higher than before, unaware that the swirling energy surrounding him was now coalescing in both bright and dark coruscating flashes, "I am Kuno Tatewaki, descended of a noble line, a Samurai born true and also your doom! Look upon my strength and tremble!"

With that Kuno unleashed his most powerful attack, leaping high into the air and coming down again with a slash that crackled and seared the very air with the boom of thunder. He struck with force enough to shatter the side of a small mountain and everything within a hundred feet was rocked with was rocked by the shockwave, cracking walls and felling trees while causing cars to skid out of control in all directions.

And when the attack was completed and the force expended naught remained where Purge had been standing but a large truck-sized crater gouged out the very asphalt. Kuno took a moment to absorb and reflect upon this before righting himself again and raising his sword in a respectful saluting manner.

"I warned you not to rouse my righteous wrath, Monster," Kuno murmured softly, "Now rest in Hades you-urk!"

The tap of a wooden sword just below his Adam's apple caused Kuno to go very still, disbelief vying with amazement as he heard Purge's malevolently hissing voice remark, "Magnificent...I knew that you had the potential within you. I am very impressed indeed, you do show some slight promise."

"But...how...?" Kuno gasped.

"Why match Force with Force, Boy, when it is so much easier to move to the side when your focus is distracted?" Purge responded, "I had to know your current limits before I could decide if you were the one whom I have been seeking all this while, and now I know your measure. You could indeed exceed even Taro's capabilities with a bit more training, and then you would be a match even for the Jedi themselves."

"You were testing me all along?" Kuno gasped, "But...why?"

"Because you bested Ukyo, my best student," Purge explained, "And the Sith respect and acknowledge strength, whether of mind or of body. You are presently a flawed diamond and your mind distracted with confused loyalties and lusts that you color with sentimental twaddle. You could be so much more than you are now, easily the better of the likes of Saotome Ranma..."

"Saotome?" Kuno frowned, "What is he to you, Fiend?"

"Saotome is another flawed gemstone who has it within him to be something greater," Purge explained, "And yet his loyalties are clearly given over to the Jedi as he has been taken in by my enemy, and is betrothed to at least two of the older Tendo sisters..."

"What?" Kuno blinked, "What say you? I had heard that he was betrothed to Tendo Nabiki..."

"That engagement is presently in dispute as he has been given a choice by both the Jedi and his parents," Purge revealed, "Either to marry one sister or have both of them in kind, and it is known that Kasumi is very much in competition with her sister, seeking to mate with the boy and give him young of her loins..."

"LIAR!" Kuno swore, "She would never sully herself by consorting with the likes of a low-born dog such as him!"

"You think that I am trying to deceive you? I am not," Purge assured him, "You may inquire of Jedi Padawan Tendo Kasumi herself and hear the words from her own lips just who it is she yearns to share her bed. In all truth she lusts for him like a bitch in heat, this female you hold upon a pedestal and worship as an idol..."

"Cease your lies!" Kuno spat, deflecting the bokken with the flat of his hand and move away to resume a martial stance, "Now surely I will smite you down for daring to compare my delicate flower to a female hound!"

"So, are you ready to fight me now, Boy?" Purge taunted, raising his own bokken and readying his personal power, "Very well then, let me show you what a true Sith Lord can accomplish!'

Kuno did not even see the other man move, he only felt as though a wave of darkness loomed up before him and smothered out all light, and then he had a feeling of motion that overwhelmed all other sense and awareness and did not become coherent again until an endless age had passed, at which point he awoke to find himself over fifty meters away from where he had been standing, bewildered and confused at how he had gotten there, and trembling all over.

"Now do you see, Boy?" Purge called out, "The power of the Dark side, the power you would foolishly challenge?"

"Ugh..." Kuno grunted as he forced himself up into a sitting position, "You haven't...won yet...you fiend..."

"Hah! You are persistent, Samurai, I will give you that!" Purge laughed, "I salute your courage and tenacity, but this fight is ended for now. I choose to end it. I have learned what I came here to discover, and now I leave you with this thought...that strong as you are, you are not presently as strong as Saotome."

"What?" Kuno gasped, leaning on his bokken as he struggled to get to his feet, "N-No...that's a lie!"

"It is the truth, Boy," Purge insisted, "Strong as you are, he is much, much stronger."

"There is no way...that a low-born cur...who treats women...the way he does...could be my better!" Kuno insisted, wavering on his feet before willing himself to stand erect, "After Ukyo...and Nabiki...you dare compare him to me?"

"See for yourself if you doubt my words," Purge sneered, "And because he is strong your fair flower yearns to mate with him, even at the cost to stealing him from her own sister. But don't rely on me to tell you the truth of the matter, challenge him yourself and you will see how strong he truly is, which is stronger than you could dare to imagine."

"I will face him anywhere and at any time," Kuno resolved, "And I will prove myself...his better..." the latter part was barely a whisper spoken between grit teeth, but Purge heard it just as well and turned away to hide the smile that cross his own scaly face.

"I am counting on you to do just that, little Samurai," the Sith Lord murmured, "You have already begun your journey to the dark side and you don't even know it yet...this could not be more perfect."

And with that thought in mind he took his leave of Tatewaki, Kuno finding his strength not sufficiently returned to engage in pursuit of the tall creature, though his glare was promise enough as he murmured softly, "We will meet again, Fiend from Hell...on that I swear...it..."

And the rest was lost as he fell backwards into the much-coveted sleep his body demanded...

It was bright and early the following morning and all of Nerima seemed ready to turn out for a great contest. The Fast-Food Martial-Arts Delivery Take-Out Race was gearing to begin with dozens of contenders warming up and mentally preparing to do combat.

"Wow," Akane remarked as she glanced around, "Quite a turn-out for this match, huh?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured, "No see this many contestants at village Challenge Log, is much, much more people."

"Why be surprised?" Ukyo asked as she stretched herself out, "People like a good show and this one promises at least a little excitement, not that I'm expecting much out of Miss Blushing Violet over there," she briefly glanced at the veiled and reserved-looking Kaori, who was still dressed in a traditional Shinto wedding outfit, "But with your sisters in the race, there ought to be just a little competition."

"And are you thinking of excluding me from your list of rivals?" another voice intruded on their conversation, even as Ukyo turned to see a dark-haired, ponytailed girl in a green leotard standing just to the left of both her and Shampoo, "Of course, since we have not been properly introduced, you could be forgiven such a lamentable oversight..."

"What, you again?" Ukyo blinked, snapping her fingers as she tried to summon up a name then said, "Kuno Kodachi, right?"

"The one and only Black Rose of Saint Hebereke," the other girl said haughtily, "And you are that boyish girl whom my brother informed me about, the one who disguised herself as a man for ten years while pursing Saotome Ranma."

"Kodachi," Nabiki rather irritably said as she turned around to glare at her erstwhile friend, "Just what are you up to this time?"

"I have merely come by to wish you well...and to give you a little bit of healthy competition," Kodachi cheerfully leered, "After all, I understand that your...boyfriend is quite the charming sort, and having only met him once in passing I know that he is quite ruggedly handsome..."

"Oh Kodachiiii," Akane purred as she moved out from behind Ukyo, "I had no idea that you'd be here.

Once again the transformation in the Black Rose's tone and attitude was striking, going from playful to alarmed as she gulped, "A-A-Akane?"

"If you're going to be in this race, then I just may forget the main object and take a consolation prize," Akane brazenly leered, "Tell me, do they penalize you for tackling a competitor?"

"Is said to be Anything Goes match," Shampoo affirmed, giving Kodachi a sultry appraisal before purring, "Is maybe good idea, she look like she be interesting conquest."

"Ah...on second thought," Kodachi hastily moved away from the starting line, "I wouldn't dream of taking your boyfriend away from you, Nabiki, my good friend...in fact, I'll be cheering for you from the crowds...well away from the finishing line...bye now!"

And with that Kodachi all but fled from the scene, and Nabiki would have sworn that her sometime best friend had left skid marks in passing."

"She's just a little shy," Akane explained, "Maybe some other time I can properly introduce you?"

"I'll pass, Sugar," Ukyo sniffed, "Besides, this field's crowded enough as it is, even thought the only real competition I see will be your two older sisters..."

"Hah, you wish," Shampoo grinned, "This one give you good race, maybe even take it easy on Spatula girl and no make look too bad."

"Yeah?" Ukyo's smile was full of confidence, "And what are you gonna do in the EXTREMELY unlikely event that you win, Sugar? Wind up engaged to marry Ranchan?"

Shampoo blinked, "Aiyaa...no think that far ahead. This one like her little brother, but no want to get married..."

"You're both being silly if you ask me," Akane sniffed, flexing her own arms in preparation for her part in the match, "The guy's not worth the sweat off your brow, but if Nabiki wants him she's more than welcome to the baka. Kasumi, on the other hand...I really don't see the attraction there. Oneechan always said she wasn't interested in younger man, but to let that immature idiot cause her to act this way..."

"Man, what is it about you and Ranchan?" Ukyo glared resentfully at the youngest Tendo sister, "You're always riding on his case, but he's only a little rude with you, so what's the deal here?"

"I just hate how that guy always seems to have it so easy," Akane fumed, "I mean, my sisters and I have trained all our lives to be as good as we are, but then he comes waltzing into town and just naturally picks things up like it was nothing..."

"Oho," Ukyo smiled, "Is that jealousy I hear? Resentment over the fact that Ranchan is such a good fighter that he makes little old you look like a rookie?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo exclaimed, "You should no want to resent what Ranma go through to become as good as little brother is."

"Oh, I know the guy's gone through heck with the Nekoken and all that," Akane waved a hand in a dismissive manner, "And when Sensei and Oneechan start treating the guy like he can walk on water..."

"Which we can," Shampoo pointed out.

"I mean..." Akane deliberately ignored the interruption, "Whatever happened to not training someone beyond a certain age? I was six when I started to train in the Force, and Oneechan was nine, which was kind of old to start out. And he's so undisciplined, and rude, and obnoxious...and what does Nabiki ever see in him? I mean, NABIKI of all people!"

"You no think she like boys?" Shampoo asked.

"No...I mean...at least, that way..." Akane turned to glance at her two older sisters, confusion, curiosity and resentment briefly warring on her expression...

Nabiki, who only had a brief sense of being included in her sister's conversation, was devoting most of her attention towards her older sister, Kasumi, and the aforementioned Ranma. The boy was standing beside them looking bewildered and uncertain, glancing frequently her way while listening to the lecture his mother was giving both Tendo sisters, reassuring them that she really had no preferences here and wanted to wish the both of them well, that either one of them would make her a fine daughter-in-law and that she would really prefer to have both of them continue to be engaged to Ranma, with Ukyo, Shampoo and Kaori thrown into the harem.

Nabiki was still a bit uncertain of what to make of the Saotome Matriarch. On the one hand Nodoka was a genuinely likeable and overly pleasant person, but then one could not help remembering the steel that lurked behind the silk, rather much like Kasumi herself, though with Nodoka there was a greater sense of being basically out to lunch and just a bit fruity. Kasumi always seemed airy and distant on some level, as though she were from another plane of existence, only just visiting a bit before flexing her wings and taking off for the heavens.

With Nodoka...there was the memory of that harsh suicide pact, and the awareness that the woman truly was a stickler for traditions such as the notorious concept of ie that made Japanese society seem a bit backward in the eyes of many a foreigner. What did such a woman expect in a "dutiful daughter-in-law" anyway? Someone who would cook and clean up the home? Always be respectful to their elders and swallow their own opinion for the sake of maintaining domestic tranquility and the Wa of the essential family household? If so then Nabiki knew that she was not particularly favored in that regard, while Kasumi was, if anything, a bit overqualified and thensome.

Nabiki was not a traditional girl in any sense of the word, believing that there was more to life than bowing and scraping to a man, or subordinating your ambitions the way her mother had when she married Nabiki's father. With most boys that could be a problem as the young men of her acquaintance tended to be the types who believed that women only existed to fulfill the expectations of a man, but with Ranma she sensed that it would be very different. He was not a traditional Japanese male by any stretch of the imagination, and while he had his rough edges and crude points there was a lot of raw clay to be molded there, and her association with him so far had confirmed that he would look towards her to set the definitions and boundaries of a marriage.

And that was an important thing to Nabiki, who valued her independence as much as any other prize. She wanted a man who would respect her and the things that she was good at, not demand that she compromise herself to fulfill his needs. He knew about her skills as a Jedi Force Mistress, knew that she was the family gadgeteer and was a lot smarter in those areas than he was, AND he wasn't intimidated by these factors. If anything he tended to treat her much as he would an equal, if a bit shy and introverted as he had not that much experience around women, which she found oddly cute more than annoying. There was a lot of potential here to have a genuine partner in a marriage, not a future Master. As such she had been gravitating to him almost since the very beginning, and now looked to secure her claim as the lead fianc e, if not the pack leader of a potential harem.

And why should she have to give him up or share him anyhow? It was not Ranma's fault that any of this had happened in the first place! His father had set up the engagements between the Tendo girls, Ukyo and now this blushing lily, Kaori...who knew how many other engagements he might possibly have arranged if he was the type of man who could sell his own son for a bowl of rice with a pickle on top? And she knew that Ranma was very upset with his father over that, just as she knew that she and Ranma had begun to form emotional ties that could well lead into a very satisfying relationship further down the line. So why should Nabiki feel anything but resentful about someone else muscling in on her turf, even when one of the rivals was none other than her beloved older sibling?

Besides, it was not as if Nabiki had suitors beating down the door the way they were for both Akane and Kasumi. She was the one whom nobody else seriously wanted, the one whom Kuno had branded a "cold and heartless mercenary," even as he gushed over Kasumi, a girl so well-favored with looks, intelligence and feminine qualities that it was hardly surprising that she was as popular as she was, even if Kasumi did little to encourage this attention. Kasumi would have no problem finding herself a husband if she gave Ranma up for Nabiki. Why then did her Oneechan insist on competing for his attention? Nabiki could not believe that this was deliberate, but she had to wonder at Kasumi's motivation.

All right, Nabiki could see why she might be attracted to Ranma as a man since, in spite of his immaturity in many respects, he was VERY mature in the areas that mattered most to both of them. Ranma was no rocket scientist, but he was not that stupid either, and while he tended to act rash and impulsive at times he was nonetheless brave, loyal and considerate when dealing with them. He did not automatically presume that they had to get out of his way, he would go to great lengths to avoid getting in their way, and there was no question at all that he-unlike his father-would do his best to try to live up to his promises and commitments.

She thought of these things while stretching her body and limbering herself up, stealing glances at her sister and the man whom they both coveted and thinking to herself that there was a very large gulf that separated these two, and yet there was something else that was linking them, a line of trust and respect that made Ranma seem more than deferential to his nominal "Sensei." Trieste had given the chore of Ranma's education in the force largely over to Kasumi, who was using that as an excuse to spend more time with the younger man, acting as both teacher and suitor, at once the wise and benevolent "Senior Student" in their school and a substitute-mother figure to whom Ranma might cleave as he would to an older sister...only this relationship carried with it more than a faint whiff of potential incest.

She scowled as she turned away, only to notice a pair of sandals a short distance from her face as she stretched herself with a full-leg split, looking up to discover that it was none other than her mother who had come to stand before her.

"Ah," Nabiki said as she rose back to her feet, "What's up, Mom?"

"I was just thinking," Kimiko smiled, "Watching you do that reminds me so much of me when I was your age. I even had my hair cut short, as yours is, Child, though I doubt that I was ever in as good a top form as you are. I am very proud of you, and I just wanted you to hear me say that."

"Momma," Nabiki felt her cheeks blush a little, looking up at the older woman almost shyly, only to find (to her considerable amazement) that there was no longer all that much difference in their respective heights, maybe a few centimeters favoring Kimiko over her middle daughter.

"You were always the clever one," Kimiko continued, "The one your sisters turn to when they have any sort of technical problem, and I'm proud of you in that way as well. I dare say that you could have quite a career in the Home Defense Forces if you ever choose to follow in my example. I was only a year older than you are now when I joined, and I loved flying combat jets. I understand that the models which they are piloting now in my old wing are quite formidable, which is amusing since they used to take bets that the 801 TTW Airbats would never survive a decade..."

"Me join the military?" Nabiki asked, then hastily corrected herself, "I mean...the Home Defense Forces. Ah, sorry to tell you this, Mom, but I'm not quite cut out for military life, if you know what I mean."

"I know," Kimiko smiled, "But I just wanted you to remember that you are still a young woman with many prospects, so don't feel too resentful towards your sister. She has traveled the world and spent a great many years trying to find a man who could make her feel the way she does around young Saotome."

Nabiki glanced down before growling, "Maybe so, Mom, but...don't you think she could look a bit longer? There's gotta be a guy closer to her age who could make her a pretty nice husband, and I don't know why it has to be Ranma..."

"She could ask the same thing of you," Kimiko replied, "There have to be other boys in the world who could make the both of you extremely happy..."

"Yeah?" Nabiki sullenly replied, "Well, they're sure not living in Nerima, I already checked."

"Stubborn girl," her mother said with surprising affection, "You really do remind me of me at times like this."

"Huh?" Nabiki looked at her mother with open confusion.

"Never mind, Child," her mother said a bit too hastily, "Let's just say that, if I knew then what I do now, then you would have had a lot more family members to contend with for shower privileges. Let's just say that your prospects are not as bleak as you seem to imagine should your sister win the day and leave it at that. I know that you will do your best to uphold the family honor and defeat all outside rivals...oh, and your father wanted me to remind you that a years supply of Ramen would go a long way to stretching the family food budget, so it wouldn't hurt things too much if you turn out to be the winner of this race."

"Ah...right," Nabiki replied with a dubious expression, "I'll do my best, you can count on that, Momma."

"I know you will," Kimiko's eyes twinkled in amusement, "You're my daughter."

For some reason Nabiki found that both warming reassuring and disturbing at one and the same course, for there was something in the friendly look her mother gave her just then that seemed to imply that an aspect of history was repeating itself, a thought which was more than a bit disturbing...

Right then Ranma was thinking along similar lines as he chatted with Kasumi, finding the right point in their conversation to inject the words, "I wish you guys didn't have to do this..."

"I know, Ranma-kun," Kasumi sighed, "And I wish as well that this was not necessary. One's training should be about competing with yourself and one's own highest personal standards, to improve your abilities by learning to go beyond what you think of as your limits. Competing against others seems so...tawdry and boastful, as if merely excelling in a race were a means of claiming that you are better than someone who races against you. I would that this could be completely avoided, but...the agreement between our fathers has made this a matter of personal and family honor."

"Yeah," Ranma said grudgingly, "And I'm supposed to be the prize everybody's competing for, but I don't see why you have to fight with Nabiki and Ucchan. I mean...I thought I was gonna be the one who had a say in all of this..."

"I know, Ranma-kun," Kasumi gently replied, "And you will. I would never force you to do anything, and if I should be the victor this day, then you will have the right to choose which of us is to be your fianc e. I know that Nabiki would give you the same right if she should prove to be the victor, and as for your friend Kuonji...well...I cannot really say where her heart lays. I rather doubt that she knows that herself at the moment. It is mostly for pride that she is even in this competition."

"Yeah," Ranma said, "But I thought she was getting kind of close with Akane and Shampoo, and what are the two of them doing here anyway? I didn't even think your sister liked me..."

"Akane has...difficulty warming up to some people," Kasumi said as tactfully as she could manage, "And Shampoo says that she is doing this to protect your claims as her adoptive little brother, so I don't think you need to worry too much that she will suddenly seek to claim you for her husband, even if doing so might well please her Elder."

"Oh yeah," Ranma blushed a bit, glancing to see the wizened old Amazon leader standing off to the side studying everyone with a typically inscrutable expression, "That what about that Kaori girl? What's her angle here? I mean...I don't even know her, I can't believe that she wants to make me her husband just on the basis of a promise."

"That is because your father takes promises too lightly, Ranma-kun," Kasumi assured him, "Not everyone else in the world is like that. Some girls are very traditional in their orientation, and I believe that she takes the word of her father very seriously, and since he promised her to you at such a very young age..."

"Oh yeah," Ranma sighed with bleak sarcasm, "Lucky me. For all we know she's probably got warts or something...I mean, why else wear a heavy garment like that on a hot day like this? I mean, what's she got hide anyhow?"

"Probably nothing," Kasumi remarked, allowing a faint trace of vexation to disturb her normally tranquil expression, "Though I will concede to you that she is a puzzle..."

"...I just can't stand how smug he is," Akane continued to fume as the people hosting the race passed along wooden boxes containing hot bowls of ramen, one to each competitor, "I mean, why do girls go for a jerk like that? He's even more stuck-up than...Kuno."

"You sure it ain't jealousy talking, Sugar?" Ukyo asked in some amusement as she accepted her own delivery box.

"Jealousy?" Akane blinked, "Over him?"

"Over how smooth Ranchan is with the ladies," Ukyo allowed a bit of her own irritation to show through in her voice, "He doesn't even have to work at getting their attention and they melt all over him. Bet you wish you were able to get a reaction like that in your pick-ups."

"Grow up," Akane sniffed, "I don't need an edge when it comes to dating girls. Most guys are such jerks that they girls in our school are always willing to come to me for advice, and I always counsel them that there are plenty of alternatives to using boys to satisfy all of your emotional needs."

"I'll just bet you do, Sugar," Ukyo's voice dripped a few degrees of Celsius and she was no longer looking quite so amused, "Ever use the Force to 'nudge' 'em a bit to your way of thinking?"

"No!" Akane was visibly shocked at the question, "Never."

"Never?" Ukyo asked skeptically.

"No way!" Akane declared, "I told you, I don't need an edge when it comes to other women. I just need the gifts that Mother Nature intended...that and some handy techniques that I picked up along the way from reading a few books and studying some fairly risqu Manga that helped me to work out the opening moves, and a lot of trial and error."

"On the job experience, huh?" Ukyo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Akane rolled her eyes, "Plenty of trial and a whole lot of errors..."

"And you never once thought of using your Jedi tricks to 'convince' them to like you?" Ukyo frowned with even more intense skepticism in her voice.

It was Shampoo who chose to answer that one, "Using the Force to seduce young girl is way of Dark side, Ucchan. No need use power to cloud womans minds to get inside pants, just need know right technique make girl enjoy warrior's attention."

As she said this she slyly ran a hand up Ukyo's side, causing a shivering wave of intensely FUN sensations to creep up along the other girl's spin. Ukyo gasped and flinched with an anxious glance to either side as though fearing that someone would notice this, then flushed furiously and hissed, "Don't ever do that when we're in a public place! What, you want people to think that we're a bunch of weirdoes?"

"Why should it matter to you what they think about us, Ucchan?" Akane coyly smiled, lilting her voice to make her affection the more obvious, "It's not like any of them are gonna do something about it."

"That's not the point and you know it," Ukyo bristled slightly, "And stop trying to avoid the subject here. I'm asking you point blank if you've ever used the Force to have you way with somebody. After all, knowing how you feel about guys, what's to stop you from 'convincing' your girlfriends that they're better off without them?"

"Ucchan," Akane sighed in mild exasperation, "Just how powerful do you think I am anyway?"

"Huh?" Ukyo asked, "I don't..."

"I might try and 'persuade' a girl that she's better off without a boy in her life," Akane allowed a note of bitterness to creep into her tone as she added, "But I can't make them stop noticing boys, any more than I can change the rules of basic biology. Sooner or later, no matter how close I get to another girl, or even if I score with her, sooner or later some guy comes traipsing along wagging his dick in her face and my girlfriends go all puppy-dog like and dovey-  
eyed and the next thing you know they're trotting along after them just asking to get their feelings hurt. I mean...honestly...you think I've never been tempted? I just know for a fact that if I tried to 'convince' a girl like that it wouldn't be too effective."

"You sure about that?" Ukyo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Positive," Akane sulked, "Unless a girl's completely same-sex oriented she'll always harbor a hope that the next guy who comes along will be 'Mr. Right,' and it's so disgusting! I can accept losing a girl to another girl, but not to some jerk who will stomp all over her heart and treat her like a doormat. That's the risk you take dating other Bisexuals, you know...they're more promiscuous even than men! They enjoy sex too much and can't wait to dip into the candle wax with the next cute stud who comes along. Real Lesbians-and I've known a few-  
-don't play the field that much and when they latch onto somebody they become real steady. You can't even pry them apart with a crowbar!"

"I find that hard to believe," Ukyo blinked, "But aren't you...?"

"I'd have said yes...if it wasn't for Tofu-Sensei," Akane glanced away, "He's the only guy I know who ever made me feel something special, but he doesn't even know that I exist..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo sighed, "Tell this one about it..."

Akane straightened her shoulders then and said, "But I'm all over him now...in fact, I've decided that I'm through playing around. It's time that I went steady with someone, and I've decided that it's going to be you, Ucchan..."

"Me?" Ukyo blinked, "But..."

"You're special," Akane favored the other girl with an affectionate regard, "I may have only known you for a little while, but you make me feel good, and being with you in bed is like pure magic. So, unless Shampoo here wants to stake a claim on you..."

"This one very tempted," Shampoo gave a friendly leer at Ukyo before adding, "But this one willing to relinquish claim to little sister, Akane, and wish you all that is best with Ucchan."

"Hey," Ukyo gulped, "Don't I get a say in this...?"

Just then the announce called out, "LADIES, TAKE YOUR PLACES AT THE STARTING LINE! THE RACE IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE!"

"That's our cue," Akane said as she took her place along the front row of the competitors, "Just remember, Ucchan, I'm not in this race for Ranma, just the Ramen...and I'm gonna win to protect you and my sisters from having to marry that baka, Ranma."

"Uhuh," Ukyo said softly as she, too, lined up with Shampoo, the Tendo sisters and the others, noticing that Kaori was crouching low just a few paces off to the side, "And you want me just as long as the novelty holds up, right? I mean...until the next cute thing comes along to wiggle her ass in front of you..."

"How can you say that?" Akane sniffed, "Okay, maybe in the past I've been a bit...flighty...but now I'm ready to settle down with you, so as far as I'm concerned other women no longer even exist for me..."

"READY-GET SET-!" the announcer called out.

All at once Kaori sprang into the air, attracting everyone's attention as she tossed her kimono-like wedding gown to the side and revealed herself in all her radiant glory, doing a near-impossible summersault with the sun against her outline and performing a double-side kick before descending back to Earth dressed in nothing but a leotard that left very little of her lush, well-trimmed body to the imagination.

And her face? One look at her exquisitely aristocratic features and half the male population in attendance of this race went weak in the knee, the other half merely stupefied into a state of numbness. The effect shocked even Ukyo, who only recently had become aware of the power of an attractive face upon the male or female hormones, understanding at once why Kaori had been concealing her good looks until the very last minute as the effect that she created was an excellent bit of psychological intimidation.

"Whoah," Akane said at last, as clearly affected by Kaori's looks as anyone else present.

Ukyo glared at her and said, "I rest my case."

Nabiki found her own mouth hanging open until she heard somebody else say, "I don't see any warts on her, not that there's much room to hide one..."

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, not only taken by the beauty of the other girl but by the strong sense of a powerful battle aura as she mentally "checked out" Kaori to confirm her own suspicions. Sure enough there was robust health and a strong sense of Ki in this other girl, and the Force was strong within her, meaning that-knowingly or not-Kaori could tap into it with great ease to bolster her physical abilities.

Her father was far less sanguine at this discover, sputtering out, "But...what...how?"

Mister Daikoku laughed out loud at the other man's reaction, "You never suspected it, did you? My Kaori is a champion at Martial Arts Take-Out Delivery, Tendo-san. It was an art pioneered by our ancestors in feudal times when we had to practice self-defense to make deliveries in rough areas that were prone to bandits. Our art always stresses quick and immediate results so that the food is always served fresh and warm to the customer regardless of the obstacles that must be overcome along the way."

To further make the point, Kaori uncovered her own wooden box to reveal that the ramen noodles within were still steaming hot without a drop being spilled. This fact impressed even Nabiki, who had been mindful on the lookout for hidden tricks and deceptions but had not detected any direct Force manipulation employed to achieve this.

"Big deal," Ukyo scowled, finally recovering from her surprise as a wave of resentment helped her to clear her thinking, "My family's had a similar tradition for countless generations, and there's no way that the Kuonji school is going to concede anything to the Daikoku clan."

"We will see about that," Kaori herself replied with a condescending, aloof stare directed towards Ukyo and the rest of her 'rivals,' adding in sweet undertone, "Saotome Ranma is already as good as mine."

"You actually want him?" Akane turned a dismayed look towards the auburn-haired beauty.

"Of course," Kaori replied, "Honor dictates that I marry the man my father has chosen, and in doing so I will become co-heir of the Daikoku fortune. My father needs a son to inherit his title and the company name, and I need to produce heirs to pass along our legacy, even as you intend to do for your poor school. And besides...this boy looks to be very manly and virile, and since all of you are willing to compete for him, except for the Tomboy..."

"Hey!" Akane protested.

"I meant the other Tomboy," Kaori replied, "The one you've been outrageously flirting with, the one who looks as much like a boy for all her protests to the contrary."

"HEY!" Ukyo bridled.

"But you no even know little brother, Ranma," Shampoo pointed out, "How you know you even like him?"

"I can learn to like such a young man of prospects," Kaori reasoned, "Especially since he seems like so much raw clay waiting to be molded in the hands of the right woman."

"HEY!" this time it was Nabiki who exploded in protest.

"Oh my," Kasumi herself remarked, sensing that this contest would be far from easy."

The man with the starter's pistol belatedly remembered what he was there for and straightened out again before raising his gun and calling out, "ALL CONTESTANTS-  
-GET READY-GET SET-GO!"

And with the crack of a starter's pistol they were off and running, the Tendo sisters, Ukyo, Shampoo and Kaori taking the early lead while the rest of the contestants struggled to pick up the pace in the wake of these contending rivals. Left behind was the bewildered object of everyone's frenzy, who shook his head after a moment and said, "HEY! Wait a minute! What does she mean she wants to mold me?"

"Never mind, Son," he heard his father remark, "Who can understand women?"

Trieste only glanced at the elder Saotome in mild annoyance before turning to Cologne and saying, "Elder...I have a very bad feeling about this."

"As do I," Cologne responded, "I think that we should study the outcome of this race very thoroughly, just to insure that everyone performs entirely above-  
board."

"My thoughts exactly," the Jedi Knight somberly agreed, "Let us move along ahead to the next transition point in this race, shall we?"

"Agreed," and without anyone but Ranma being the wiser the two Elders moved off and melted away from the crowd, to take to the rooftops with an astonishing leap that vastly exceeded the speed of a land bound racer.

After only a fraction of a second of hesitation, Ranma decided to do likewise, his own intense concerns about the outcome of this race adding lift to his strides as he raced to see which girl would take the early lead in the competition, and dreading to know if the "right" ones would long remain within the running. If anything went wrong...well...he had a contingency plan of his own already churning in the back of his mind, and an alternative racer's outfit that he had stashed away in advance of possibly needing such a fall-back.

It was not like him to usually plan ahead in a match, but with the odds this high he knew he could not stand idle and allow things to proceed at their own natural rate of progress. After all, it was in his nature to always take the lead in any battle, and the last thing he wanted to do was be left out of a match that had the words "Martial Arts" in it, a fact that made the Saotome school unrivaled for audacity...even if the principle heir of such a Ryu had to "finagle" things a bit to insure an acceptable outcome...though whichever girl that might be even he could not say for absolute certain.

He only knew that he did not want either Akane or Kaori to win this match, the former for obvious reasons while the latter...well...there was something about her smile that was unpleasantly chilling. As for the others...Shampoo was his friend and he trusted her, while Ukyo...he was not so certain, but with the older Tendo girls, either Nabiki or Kasumi...there he was even less certain and just a little bit nervous. If either of them won the right to be his fianc e...well...he would have to deal with that when and if it happened, but the thought of either Tendo sister possibly winding up as his wife...made him feel extremely funny about that, and not necessarily in a bad way either.

Whatever the case might be, he had to get to the next point quickly, and so he took to the rooftops with bounding leaps that easily matched his Jedi Knight Sensei and the Amazon Elder, making good time racing against time over fences and rooftops, all the while dreading the need to become directly involved in having to choose his own fianc e, not wanting to have to take a side as he sensed that choosing one girl would be to invite catastrophe with the other, which made him marvel at the unbelievable notion that there were guys, like Kuno, who even wanted to become engaged to a girl in the first place...

And if it was not for the two older Tendo sisters, and Ucchan, he would have gladly told them that they were welcome to the field, and his pity to those who tried to make a conquest of the likes of someone like Tendo Akane...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Ramen Delivery Runs: shadowmane

The race is on, but who will take the prize in this competition, and will Ranma be able to live with the outcome? Be with us next time as Kaori struts her stuff in: "Run for the Ramen," or, "The Take-Out Specialist of Love!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	23. Chapter 23

Jedi Kasumi23

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with further inspiration provided by Brandon Kelley &amp; Bill Guiroff)

Episode Twenty-Three.  
(Well Beyond the Age of Legal Consent in Japan,  
Under Seventeen Get Out of the Pool!)

Hail To The Thief!

The Saga So Far:

Having accepted the challenge of Kaori Daikoku, Kasumi and Nabiki have agreed to participate in the Martial Arts Take-Out Delivery Race,  
competing against the likes of Akane, Ukyo,  
Shampoo for both a year of Ramen and the right to be Ranma's iinazuke...

Akane, who-unlike either of her older sisters,  
has no interest in Ranma and is chasing after Ukyo-has joined the race to prevent Ukyo from pressing her claim as Ranma's original iinazuke, while Ukyo is in this as a matter of pride, the former Sith Padawan not yet ready to surrender her claim in favor of Akane...

Shampoo, who also disavows interest in her Adoptive "little brother," is Allied with Akane in their mutual Wish to "persuade" Ukyo to surrender her claim in favor of the Tendo sisters,  
but her real interest is in no other than the Good doctor Tofu...

Paired against them is Kaori, who means to fulfill the wishes of her father that she might inherit the Daikoku fortune, is not above using unfair means to obtain her desires, but will that be enough to give her a fighting edge against the Jedi-trained Tendo sisters? Read on and you will find out...!

"Oh, Ukyo..." Ryoga sighed, "Why am I such an idiot around you? Why can't I ever speak openly and honestly with you? We've been through so much together, but you barely even know I exist, and small wonder. I'm such a coward even our Master has cast me out and exiled us from his Ryu..."

Feeling depressed, confused, and generally quite lost was nothing new for Hibiki Ryoga, but of late he had been feeling lost in more than just the sense of general direction and location. His great purpose in life, revenge against Saotome Ranma, had been momentarily sidetracked out of necessity, his pledge to Cologne to abide by a truce as terms for having a roof (at least part of the time) over his head. He did it to be closer to Ukyo, a fellow Sith Apprentice who had featured most prominently in his thoughts of late, and the more time that he spent around her the more convinced he was that his interest in her superceded any other thoughts, obligations or commitments.

"I'm such a fool," he sighed forlornly, "If Master Purge could hear me now he'd call me weak for obsessing about you, but I no longer care about any of that. If only you could know how much I care about you, and what a waste it is for you to spend even a moment longing for Ranma, who ignores and spurns you in favor of the Jedi-Trained Tendo sisters..."

Thoughts of Ranma rekindled his old, undiminished anger, and the waves of his hate congealed around him momentarily as he reflected upon his promised vengeance against the bane of his existence. One day soon, pledge to abide a truce or not, he would crush the life out of Ranma and put an end to his perfidy, working his way into the Tendo house and seducing the two older daughters of the unsuspecting parents. If only they knew what a base betrayer and treacherous scum Ranma truly was they would know just why Ryoga had vowed to destroy him. It was not just the bread thing, not even being pushed into Jusenkyo that enraged Ryoga and made him want to dedicate himself to the demise of his hated enemy. It was more even than the broken promise of a fight that fueled his righteous wrath. It was discovering the line of broken pledges and promises that the Saotomes had left in their wake that had convinced Ryoga that his rival was the basest of scum ever imagined. Time and again he had found himself being mistaken for Saotome Ranma, and always it was someone like Ukyo who was demanding remuneration. At least six fianc es and a string of unpaid bills attended the winding trail of unfulfilled obligations, proving that the Saotome men had no sense of honor, that their given word was worth less than sand on a desert wind.

And the worst of it was that Ryoga often wound up having to settle accounts for his rival before being at liberty to move on to his next location. At least, however, the Hibiki name still stood for something noble, and Ryoga always paid his debts one way or the other. If anything, Ranma owed him for the sweat and labor that Ryoga had been forced to undergo, the worst example being that unscheduled visit to the Amazon village that had proven to be both embarrassing and life-threatening. But still Ryoga had his own sense of integrity, something even Purge had failed to make him surrender. It was the one element of pride that maintained his spirits and kept him going when his resolve began to flag, that he was better than his rival, a far better and more trustworthy man than a double-dealing snake like Saotome Ranma.

And yet, for the sake of Ukyo, Ryoga was willing to stay his hand and hold back on seeking his vengeance. It was not just a pledge to the Old Woman that he would abide in peace while residing under her roof, it was the certain knowledge that avenging himself upon Ranma would be misinterpreted by Ukyo, and might even alienate her against him. She still had some incomprehensible desire to force Ranma to live up to the terms of his broken promise, an infuriating need for self-justification that Ryoga knew was doomed to failure. Saotome would never fulfill the terms of a spoken agreement given by his back-stabbing panda-father, and he would hardly even look at Ukyo the way she wanted him to see her, as someone who had gone through hell (much like Ryoga) and sacrificed everything in the name of her own vengeance. Why then was Ukyo setting herself up to take a fall all over again? It made no sense to Ryoga, and hence he wandered in his thoughts, as lost as the moment when the Old Woman had sent him to the store room in search of dry produce.

"Where am I now?" he asked forlornly, thinking that the street where he was standing looked a bit familiar, though it could just as well be any street in the suburbs of any major Japanese city. He knew that it was Japan since there were street signs in both Romani and Kanji. More often than not the signs were in a language that he was not familiar with, though he generally could make himself understood to the locals when he went in search of directions.

"Why does this happen to me?" Ryoga asked for the umpteenth time, a question for which he never found an answer, "Why can't I find what I'm looking for when I want to find it? I thought studying the Force would help me out in that, but I still can't seem to get where I need to go, and at this rate I'm never going to find Ukyo, and I just know that she will need me..."

"Ryoga?" a voice called out from what sounded like a very far distance.

"Ah...Ukyo," Ryoga sighed, "It's almost as though I could hear your voice..."

"Ryoga, what are you doing?" the voice cried out frantically, sounding a LOT closer than before, "Get out of the road, you stupid Jackass!"

"It's been so long since you called me that, I...huh?" Ryoga paused, aware of a curious trembling sensation that he felt through the soles of his feet, as though the ground beneath him were shaking...shaking from the force of a stampede, and as he thought that he felt the alarm bells going off in the back of his head.

The Force made him aware that he was facing mortal danger, and automatically he turned and looked back over one shoulder...and his eyes went wide with an instant of panic, seeing a wall of WOMEN bearing down on him like an avalanche, which briefly put him in mind of a local riot he had kind-of-accidentally started in some Middle Eastern village, only the sea of Japanese girls heading his way would have put the fear of Allah into the hearts of the sternest Mouhajadeem who ever drew breath...

And then the stampede was upon him, leaving Ryoga little time to do more than throw up his hands in a classic warding manner, knowing as he did so that he was about to be stomped flat by the horde bearing down upon him and with little more that he could do about it than to pray furiously to the Kami...

"Ryoga!" Ukyo almost gave herself a case of whiplash as she whipped her head around, glancing anxiously at the hapless Lost Boy even as he went down under the tide that she was a part of.

"Huh?" Akane turned a curious look in the same direction, "That was him? What was he doing here?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred, "Is too, too bad...even Sith like him no deserve go down like that."

As the wave of female competitors receded, Ranma dropped down from a nearby rooftop and knelt down before Ryoga, "Hey, you okay man? You look like you need some hospitalization..."

"Uh...I'm just fine," Ryoga weakly responded, looking very much like road kill while the stars and constellations did a nice ballet inside his head, "...no problem..."

"Okay," Ranma said dubiously, "I gotta run now, but just sit tight and I'm sure you'll feel better in another few moments. Seeya!"

And with that Ranma turned and vaulted back to a local rooftop, taking off at a run to catch up and pace the charging competitors as he spotted Ukyo near the lead with the other girls, Nabiki and Kasumi holding the point with lots of other girls following on their heels as the race got down into serious earnest. There were over a hundred of them in all, varying in ages, sizes, backgrounds and social class, all gathered to win a years supply of Ranma though-in a few specific cases-even larger issues were hanging in the balance.

Ukyo was right then feeling torn with the desire to go to the aid of her fellow Sith Apprentice, but as the thought entered her mind she heard Kaori remark, "Worry for yourself, unless you'd like to drop out to look after your friend. We have a race to run and he should have noticed the warning signs instead of just standing there like a baka."

Ukyo firmed her resolve at that and turned a glare at the fleet-footed Kaori, gritting her teeth and growling, "He's not my friend, and I'll rip your hair out by the roots if you say that to me again, Sugar."

"A challenge, eh?" Kaori smiled, "What say we make things interesting then? DELIVERY CASE CRUSH!"

"What?" Ukyo sensed an attack and immediately dodged out of the way even as Kaori shot a hand towards her rival's delivery box, only to miss and shatter the box belonging to another contestant who had been passing by on a Moped. Kaori made another finger-stab for Ukyo's box but hit the box belonging to another contestant who had been advancing just to the left side of Shampoo, who-like Akane-had instinctively dodged to protect their own delivery boxes.

"You're quick, I'll give you that," Kaori mused while resuming the race and easily pacing herself against the other contestants nearest to them, "Not many could dodge the attack of the Daikoku school special delivery attack..."

"You're cheating!" Akane protested.

"This is anything goes, no rules," Kaori insisted, "If you can't protect your boxes then you don't belong in this race...Sugar."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo bristled, "Well, in that case, try THIS!"

Her hand drew one of her throwing spatulas and she let it fly towards Kaori, who yelped as she got her own box out of the way, only to see the mini-spatula spin and strike the box of the next person over.

"Two can play at game," Shampoo smiled, sensing an opening as she made a gesture with a hand that caused a wave of Force to lash out in Kaori's direction, only the latter girl vaulted high into the air as three other competitors tumbled over as though swept by a wind off of their feet.

"You think going airborne's a smart move around us?" Akane leered, summoning up the power of the Force with both of her hands as she visualized an invisible cushion for the brown-haired Kaori to fall upon with a gentle "Woof!" She then held the other girl suspended in the air while slowing her own pace in order to maintain her concentration.

"What are you-HOW are you doing this?" Kaori struggled.

"Trade secret," Akane grinned, enjoying the sight of the helpless girl trapped in free-fall, "Are you gonna give up now and stop being such a bitch around Ucchan?"

Kaori bristled and called down, "I don't care what tricks you have up your sleeve, you won't hold Daikoku Kaori in your grasp for long!"

"Oh, it doesn't have to be for long," Akane chuckled, making subtle finger-  
motions with her hands, "Just long enough to calm you down and make you see reason..."

Kaori's eyes went wide, for it felt to her as though invisible hands were suddenly playing about with her body. She struggled in their invisible grip but the sense of helplessness set her into a momentary panic.

"What are you doing?" Ukyo called out from over her shoulder.

"Ah...huh?" Akane suddenly snapped out of her playful move as though only just then becoming aware that what she was doing might seem...improper to certain parties. At once she lowered her hands and allowed Kaori to drop lightly to the ground, a somewhat bewildered expression on the other girl's face as she eyed Akane with a look of trepidation.

"Ah...sorry about that," Akane winced, "Forgot myself for a moment there...you know how it is..."

"No, I don't," Kaori glared, "But if you try it again you will suffer the consequences."

"Aw, come on," Akane complained, "Don't be like that...I was only joking!"

"And I did not find it the least bit funny," Kaori sneered before turning about with her delivery case in hand and resuming her pace, trying to catch up with the other competitors of the delivery race.

"Jeez, some people just don't have a sense of humor," Akane winced as she picked up her own delivery box and took off after Kaori and the others.

Shampoo turned to Ukyo and said, "Is very sorry, Little Sister sometime forget self...this one thinks she needs work on discipline..."

"She's a piece of work all right," Ukyo snorted, "And to think, she wants me to trust her..."

Farther back at the starting line, Trieste heaved a tired sigh and said, "I blame myself, truly...I have been sorely lacking as a teacher."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Cologne advised, "You have been away for a time and quite obviously have not been around to guide the youngest Tendo sister. I am impressed with her raw potential myself, but I've known from the moment that I laid eyes on her that Tendo Akane is a great handful for those who care about her."

"Tell me what I don't already know, Elder," Kimiko sighed, "I've tried to work with Akane, to guide her on the proper path of a young lady, and Soun and I have tried not to meddle too much in her personal life...but..."

"But sometimes she goes a little too far even for us," Soun concluded for his wife, "And then we have to speak to the parents of one of her classmates. It...is quite distressing, really..."

"Then it is long since time that I called her to accounts for her behavior," Trieste grimly resolved, "I was prepared to grant her the benefit of the doubt, but if she has been misusing her Jedi powers..."

"My Lady Trieste?" a familiar male voice asked.

"Oh?" Trieste had sensed the presence of the young man by his strong aura and now turned to acknowledge his presence with a polite nod, "Tatewaki. I thought you might attend this match, but I was expecting to see your sister as a competitor."

"She...withdrew rather suddenly," Kuno Tatewaki replied, "She did not explain why to me, but I believe that she is...troubled about something."

"Something that she would not confide to you?" Trieste asked, only to see a nod of affirmation, "I see...well, perhaps I should talk to her as well. It has been a while since I paid my respects to your parents..."

"Actually...Sensei," Kuno spoke respectfully, "I have a question which I need to ask you."

"Is it important?" Kimiko asked the polite young man, "We are trying to concentrate on the race, Tatewaki..."

"This will take but a moment, Lady Tendo," Kuno assured them, "But I must know...is this...competition...about something more than a year's supply of Ramen?"

"Yes," Nodoka smiled broadly, "My son's fianc es are competing in the match, and the one who wins gets to be my future daughter-in-law...isn't that exciting?"

Kuno registered a moment of alarm, "Um...excuse me?"

"My son is very popular with the ladies," Genma boasted, "They're all but beating down the doors to get engaged to him..."

"Yes," Kimiko frowned, "And we know who we have to thank for that, don't we?"

"That Ranma boy is quite the charmer with the ladies," Master Happosai suddenly spoke up, alerting everyone else to his presence, "Not only does he have that cute Kuonji girl after him, but all three of the Tendo girls and that Hubba-  
Hubba Amazon babe, Shampoo..."

Cologne glared at her fellow tertiary centarian and growled dryly, "Don't you have some lingerie to chase after, Happy?"

"Whoops!" the little man declared in shock, "You're right, and it's getting away from me even as we speak! Gotta go now! Bye!"

"Good thinking," Trieste noted to Cologne, "That should keep him busy."

"I...I..." Kuno had to swallow before he could speak coherently once again, "All...three...Tendo sisters? Do you mean to say that...Kasumi...?"

"Is one of those pursuing an active engagement with my son," Nodoka all but hugged herself with motherly pride, "My son is so manly!"

"Kasumi?" Kuno sounded as though he could not believe his ears, "Kasumi...seeks to be engaged...with Saotome Ranma?"

"I am afraid so, Tatewaki," Trieste replied, "I am sorry if this upsets you, but the truth of the matter is that Kasumi is one of those who is competing to marry Saotome Ranma."

"He will marry one of our little girls," Soun declared firmly, as though there were no other conceivable outcome, "And they will carry on the Anything Goes tradition..."

"Not so fast, Tendo-san," Mr. Daikoku confidently grinned, "Your girls have yet to defeat Kaori, and my daughter is the heir to the Seven Lucky Gods Martial Arts School of Delivery Take out..."

"Seven Lucky Gods you say?" Cologne mused softly, adding in undertone, "I wonder if Lord Kirin knows about this...?"

"Who is Kaori?" Tatewaki scowled, then added briskly, "Never mind...but...I had thought Saotome Ranma was engaged to marry your middle daughter, Nabiki...?"

"That matter has not yet been decided," Kimiko explained, "It remains for my older daughters to decide for themselves which of them will be first wife for Ranma."

"Never!" Kuno suddenly exclaimed, "I will not allow this!"

"Tatewaki..." Trieste attempted to explain.

"I will not hear any more words on this, My Lady," Kuno declared as he turned away, "If Kasumi has been deceived into courting the wretch, then he will learn what it is to meddle in the affairs of his better."

There was silence for a moment, then Nodoka said, "Oh my...is he planning to challenge my son over Kasumi? How romantic."

"I had better have a word with him over this," Trieste murmured.

"I think you had better not wait around on this," Kimiko urged, "As we both well know, these things do have a way of spiraling out of control if we let them."

"My son has little to fear from him," Genma dismissed, "He's a weapons user, and that's nothing to the Anything Goes system.'

"Indeed," Soun agreed, "One may train in the use of weapons, but it is a mistake to rely upon them. That was central to the Master's teachings."

"I would not be so quick to make declarations such as that if I were you," Cologne cautioned, "A man spurned at love can be dangerous in ways that are difficult to anticipate, and I would not put it past young Kuno to rise upon himself in the pursuit of what he deems as his territory..."

Meanwhile, further ahead in the race, the older Tendo sisters, Nabiki and Kasumi, were easily holding their place at the lead, being sustained by the Force and exceptionally well trained in managing their personal resources. In truth they could have raced each other to the finish line within half the time of the other competitors, but for appearance sake they had to make it seem as though they were struggling just to keep even.

"You are doing very well, Imotochan," Kasumi remarked as she and Nabiki held common pace with one another.

"Thanks, Oneechan," Nabiki replied, "You're not doing too bad yourself, but I'm still going to win, you know."

"If that is what you wish," Kasumi replied, "By the way, obstacles ahead."

"Right," Nabiki replied as the course turned in towards the local park, "I'm on it..."

"Look at those two," Ukyo growled, laboring much harder to keep up, "They're making it look too easy..."

"Big sister and middle sister very strong, very good runners," Shampoo agreed, "Could win easy, like Shampoo, but no want to make other girls look bad."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo bristled, "Well, I'm nobody's charity case, so they'd better watch out, because I'm taking them on now!"

"Admirable sentiments," Kaori mused as she caught up with the both of them, "But first you have to get by me...FISH CAKE BLIZZARD!"

"What, you again?" Ukyo winced as she dodged an attack that came rather unexpectedly, Kaori using a pair of chopsticks to pluck the ramen out of a competitor's bowl and hurl it like a lethal snake in Ukyo's direction.

"Aiyaa, not this again!" Shampoo exclaimed, sensing an attack as Kaori turned and tried to strike her box with her chop-sticks, "Shampoo think time to teach you lesson!"

With that the purple haired Amazon lashed out with a hand aimed directly for Kaori herself, two fingers poised to press against one of her pressure points, only to be warded at the last instant by Kaori's chopsticks.

"What did you think you were going to accomplish with such a weak attack?" Kaori wondered.

Shampoo just smiled and said, "Look at box."

"Eh?" Kaori asked, only to widen her eyes in horror as she saw her box explode, exposing the Ramen bowl, which hovered in mid-air as though untouched by the explosion. With a yelp she scooped it up before the precious contents could be spilled then backed away with a wary look turned towards her purple haired opponent.

"Hah, nice moves Shampoo," Akane grinned as she came up to join them, "Not so slick now are we, Daikoku-san? You might care to surrender now to save face if you like..."

"Surrender?" Kaori bristled, "To the likes of you? Never!"

"This one hope you say that," Shampoo grinned, and then she rushed forward and cried, "Attack of a thousand fingers!"

"Wha...?" Kaori yelped, moving her chopsticks rapidly to fend off what seemed like a solid wave of finger-thrusts that the Purple Haired Wonder hurled in her general direction.

"Wow," Akane admired the smoothness of her Amazon friend's rapid thrusts, impressed by her speed and general coordination, though she was equally amazed to see that Kaori managed to fend off these attacks with a speed that was almost blinding...

Meanwhile Nabiki and Kasumi had easily negotiated the obstacle course that loomed up in the path of the runners, avoiding pit-falls and other traps that claimed many a contending rival, which greatly cleared the way and left them the clear favorites as they came up upon the half-point flag post.

"Halfway there to victory!" Nabiki called out, sparing much needed breath to make this announcement.

"And the finish line is back the way we have come," Kasumi agreed, her breathing as easy and casual as her movements, which did not appear too hurried as they marked the returning track that lay before them.

Nabiki chanced to glance back at her older sister, feeling conflicting emotions of pride and resentment that Kasumi was staying so close on her heels that they were practically running alongside each other. She knew that Kasumi was holding back, just as much as she was, but that if it were a serious race then they could both rush ahead with a burst of Force-enhanced energy. Doing so, however, might reveal to outsiders the extent of their abilities, which Trieste always insisted should be a closely guarded matter, and so they held back most of their energies in reserve with Kasumi deliberately yielding the lead to Nabiki, which was either characteristically generous or just a bit on the side of sisterly condescension.

"Hey Sis," Nabiki frowned, "After I win this, why don't we have a real race, just the two of us with nobody else watching."

"I would enjoy running with you at any time that you like, Nabiki," Kasumi replied, "Remember when we used to train like this all of the time?"

Nabiki did remember those carefree days of their youth when she and her sisters had only been mildly competitive with each other, though it was usually against Akane that she preferred to compete, Kasumi always being the acknowledged senior student with both of her younger sisters coming in a close second. This time was different, however, and not just because they were contending for the right to be engaged to a young man whom they both favored...

"Heads up, you two!" another voice called out, alerting both Tendo sisters that they had a third competitor bearing down on them, and without needing to turn around they both recognized the new arrival as Ukyo, who had boosted her own speed to make up for their lead time.

"Kuonji-san," Kasumi acknowledged without turning around.

"Yeah, Me," Ukyo panted, having a much harder time keeping pace with the two sisters, "Thought I'd dropped out...just because...I had that...nutjob...on my case?"

"No," Nabiki frowned in mild consternation, "But I thought maybe Akane might have talked you out of it, or have you given up on her already?"

"What?" Ukyo reacted, "Give up on her? Are you crazy?"

"The question, which I believe Nabiki implies, is whether or not you are interested in winning Ranma...or our sister," Kasumi clarified, "Which, all else concerned, I would agree is a reasonable question."

"Are you two nuts...or something?" Ukyo bristled, "I never made any...declaration...like that..."

"So, which are you after?" Nabiki asked, "Ranma...or Akane?"

"What the...what kind of choice is that?" Ukyo sputtered.

"We just wanted to know where your priorities lay, that's all," Nabiki explained, "Or are you meaning to keep Akane guessing?"

"Get stuffed!" Ukyo growled, "I've got nothing going down between me and your sister!"

"Except that you have had physical relations with her," Kasumi pointed out, "Unless you mean to imply that Akane was forcing herself upon you..."

"Yeah," Nabiki agreed, "Which has been known to happen."

**I heard that!** Akane projected from where she was still hanging back at the side of Shampoo, who was maintaining a running battle against Kaori, the both of them exchanging attacks on the run with all the ardor of a death-match.

Ukyo winced and said, "Hey...what's going on...between me...and your sister...has nothing to do with this!"

"So you do intend to pursue relations with Ranma?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes!" Ukyo snapped, "Why else...do you two clowns...think that I'm doing this anyhow?"

"Even though you and Ranchan barely even know each other?" Nabiki shot back over her shoulder.

Ukyo blinked at this and said, "Uh...well..."

"And how does that make you any better than Kaori?" Kasumi reasoned.

"That bimbo?" Ukyo glowered, "I..."

"And how would you care to be asked the same exact question?"

All at once Nabiki, Kasumi and Ukyo halted in their tracks, finding they way forward cut off by the unexpected appearance of Kuno Tatewaki.

"Tatewaki-san?" Kasumi was the first to gasp.

"I asked you a question," Tatewaki's gaze was inscrutable as he stared past Nabiki towards the older Tendo sister, "I shall state it more clearly. Are you, Tendo Kasumi, seeking to pursue a relationship with the youth named Saotome Ranma?"

"Tatewaki-san," Kasumi replied, "I..."

Kuno tossed a wooden bokken at her feet then raised his own bokken into the ready position and said, "Duel with me, Tendo-san. Match blades with me just as we once did when we were children."

"Tachi-san..." Kasumi hesitated slightly, then made a faint declining gesture, "You know that I would spar with you, if that is what you wish, but the moment is not right for it..."

"When will it be right?" Tatewaki spoke more harshly than was his usual wont, "Or is it Saotome Ranma whom you would rather spar against?"

"Tatewaki-san," Kasumi said for the third consecutive time, "Please don't force the issue..."

"The issue has already been forced," Tatewaki replied without expression, not even turning his head as he said, "You other two may continue your race, the victor between you may have Saotome Ranma, but...I will not allow such a thing to befall you, Kasumi..."

"Tatewaki-san," Kasumi said sadly, "I respect you as a fighter, but please...do not make a scene here. Do not force me to declare my intentions."

"Your intentions?" Tatewaki's voice arched an octave, "Do you mean that you reject my suit in favor of HIM?"

"Uh...look guy," Ukyo backed away, "You want her? Fine by me. You can have her, just leave me out of this..."

"Tachi-san," Nabiki frowned, "What do you hope to accomplish by this? You can't make Oneechan like you by fighting with her."

"No?" Tatewaki bristled, "Let us see on that front-en guarde!"

He attacked and Kasumi automatically stretched out her hand to telekinetically pull the other bokken into her grasp, at which point she deflected Kuno's attack to the side and rapidly fended off three other attacks that he leveled towards her, rapid-fire attacks that were intended to test her reflexes and defenses.

"Excellent!" Tatewaki declared as he pressed in on her with another renewed rapid-fire assault, "Your speed and reflexes are, if anything, even better than I remember..."

"So are yours," Kasumi replied. "But I really have no time for this, so I must end this quickly."

She accelerated the speed of her attacks and immediately drove Kuno on the defensive, the younger man reacting with surprise at the unexpected ferocity which she displayed, wholly unexpected in someone with such refined and demure manners.

"Oneechan?" Nabiki asked, surprised and amazed at the sight of her sister going all-out against a boy Nabiki's own age.

"Go ahead and cross the finish line, Nabiki-chan," Kasumi called out, "Win for both of us and for the sake of the Tendo clan."

"Hey!" Ukyo broke the spell of her own surprise, having been no less stunned at seeing Kasumi go all-out than were Nabiki or Tatewaki, "I'm in this for my clan too you know!"

"Oneechan," Nabiki murmured softly, then resolved to do as directed and turned to race towards the finish line, followed only a few steps behind by Ukyo, who was not about to surrender the field just yet.

Meanwhile Shampoo and Kaori were rapidly gaining ground while keeping up the pressure for their own rapid duel, the net effect of their twin special attacks being that every competitor who came near to them had lost their box and ramen. Akane hovered back a bit to watch the show, but she became aware that Ukyo and Nabiki were approaching the finish line, so she called out to Shampoo, "You kick her butt but good, Shampoo-chan, I'm gonna run on ahead and see about my sisters."

"Hiyaa!" Shampoo acknowledged, thinking to herself that it was taking longer to defeat the other girl than she would have expected.

"You think to dismiss me just like that?" Kaori bridled with fury, "Very well, you force me to resort to this! Seven Lucky Gods Martial Arts Special Attack-  
UNBREAKABLE NOODLE NOOSE!"

Akane had not gone more than three paces before Kaori scooped up the ramen from her bowl and wove two lengths of rope that she sent spinning out towards both Shampoo and Akane, catching both girls up within these loops as she rapidly spun them about and wove them up together.

"Hah!" Kaori declared with a haughty smirk, surveying her own handiwork, "You two look very nice together, a very tight pair indeed, so it is only proper that you keep company together while I go on to finish my victory match. And since you have delayed me for long enough, I must bid you both adieu..."

With a merry chuckle she turned about and raced towards the distant finish line, leaving Akane and Shampoo in a literal bind, wrapped up together like Siamese twin-mummies with barely enough wiggle room to do much more than squirm up against one another.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo said in dismay.

"You said it," Akane winced, only to notice the effect that their attempts to work their way free were having on one another, "Oh the other hand..."

"Yes," Shampoo understood her at once, "Position does have...some advantages..."

"Hah, I knew it!" Kuno all but crowed as he locked blades with Kasumi, "All these years you have been holding back with me in our matches!"

"I really am not enjoying this as much as you seem to be, Tatewaki-san," Kasumi replied, "Please desist. I have a race to run and it is a matter of family honor..."

"I would never stand between you and a matter of personal honor, save in this one case," Tatewaki replied, "But to let you engage yourself to another, let alone a man who is not your equal...I am sorry, I cannot permit this..."

"It is not your place to decide these things for me, Tatewaki-san," Kasumi informed him while casually breaking the lock of their two wooden blades, moving to strike decisively and force him back on the defensive, "My life is my own to decide...I am sorry."

Kuno recovered himself and said, "No need to apologize, my Sylvan dove. You could never offend me for all the spirit of your efforts. I cannot gracefully surrender now while the sight of you sets my blood to racing. You are everything that I desire in a mate, and I will prove to you that I am truly your equal."

"If you truly respected me you would not be doing this, Tatewaki-san," Kasumi said with deep sadness, "I do...like and respect you...but not the way you want. I am sorry..."

"Then tell me why!" Kuno raged as he launched a new attack, "To pass over me for the sake of that callow you-OOOFFF!" his declaration was suddenly cut off by a foot that struck him in the side of this face and sent him sprawling in the dirt.

"Oh my," Kasumi blinked as she paused in mid-motion, then turned to see the redheaded firebrand who had just come to her assistance and asked, "Ranma-kun?"

"Call me Ranko," Ranma-chan replied as she straightened up, "Looked like you needed a little help dealing with this pest, and since guys can't take part in the fighting..."

"Guh...!" Kuno winced as he lurched back to his feet with some effort, "Who dares to attack the great Kuno Tatewaki...?"

"Huh?" Ranma-chan blinked, "You shrugged that off? What the heck are you made of?"

"Eh?" Kuno's eyes refused to focus but he raised his sword and declared, "Whoever you are, how dare you interfere in a personal fight! En garde, you brigand!"

"Yikes!" Ranma-chan cried as she ducked under the swing that had been aimed around waist-level, rolling out to the side before coming up again with a solid punch that caught Tatewaki under the chin and sent him tumbling backwards.

"Be careful, Ranma-kun," Kasumi urged, "Tatewaki can be a dangerous opponent when he is angered."

"No fooling," Ranma-chan blinked, seeing her foe rise up again, to which she grunted, "Again? No way!"

"Ranma-kun?" Kuno snarled as he forced himself to his feet once more, his wooden sword at the ready, "You are the Blackguard who dares come between me and what I desire? The you are the one upon whom I shall vent my righteous wrath!"

"Yeah, whatever," Ranma-chan replied with deceptive calm, adding on the sly, "Um...Kasumi, mind doing me a favor and lend me your stick?"

"My...stick?" Kasumi glanced down and said, "My bokken? But...'

"Come on," Ranma-chan insisted, "Nabiki looks like she could use your help, and I can deal with this punk, no problem."

"Ah...very well," Kasumi said as she tossed the sword over to Ranma-chan, who caught it one handed then held it at the ready. With that Kasumi turned heels, picked up her delivery box and headed off for the finish line, where indeed she found Nabiki having problems, caught between the twin challenges of Ukyo and Kaori...

Nabiki had been within easy sight of the finish line herself when Ukyo declared, "Sorry to do this, Sugar, but I can't let you win like this! Kuonji School special attack, PASTA MANYANA!

"Pasta Manyana?" Nabiki was unable to believe that she had heard that right, but even as this thought crossed her mind she sensed an attack and took immediate evasive action, vaulting out of the way even as a wave of noodles roped out and came close to snagging one of her ankles.

"Hey!" Nabiki tumbled in mid-air and came to a one-point landing, confronting her assailant.

"Not too shabby, Sugar," Ukyo actually smiled in approval, "You're light on your feet and you've got great reflexes, but I'm still a stronger fighter than you, so I'll try and take it easy."

"You and what legion?" Nabiki shot back, "You wounded me once and I owe you for that, so come at me like that again and I'll wrap those noodles around your neck, Kuonji!"

"Like to see you try," Ukyo made a point of cracking her knuckles, "You're good, there's no doubting that, but if you think I'm gonna let a Jedi take away my last shot at nailing Ranchan..."

"So you really do want to marry him," Nabiki frowned slightly but did not tense up as she asked, "But why?"

"Why?" Ukyo frowned, "What do you mean why?"

"I mean...do you love him?" Nabiki asked.

"I...hey!" Ukyo's frown became a scowl, "I've known him longer than you, Tendo-  
san. What makes you better qualified than me?"

"Because I like Ranma-kun, and I'm not afraid to say it either," Nabiki shot back, "But you don't really love him...you don't even know what you want in life! You've been dumped by your teacher and you got no where else to go, but the only claim you have on Ranchan is because of what your dad and his did behind both of your backs!"

"So what has that got to do with anything?" Ukyo wondered, balling her fists and looking ready to start something, "It was family honor, just like your dad set up with his!"

"Before any of us were born," Nabiki pointed out, "Which makes my claim even older than yours, but that's not why I want to win Ranchan for myself..."

"Yeah?" Ukyo scowled, "And why is that?"

"Because Ranma means something to me," Nabiki replied, "And he doesn't mean anything to you! You were trying to kill him only a few days ago, so what made you change your mind and decide to marry him? A change of heart just because he said you were cute?"

"And how the hell would you know about that, Sugar?" Ukyo bridled.

"Oneechan told me all about it," Nabiki replied, "She trusts me, I'm her sister, and I care about her..." her expression went blank as though she only just heard her own words at that moment, then quickly covered up for the slight hesitation, "You don't know what it means to trust anybody! You're a Sith! You walk on the Dark side, and this neutral act you've got going down doesn't fool anybody."

"Y'know," Ukyo scowled, "I thought you were the smart one in the family, but I was wrong. You're just damned annoying. You think you can lecture me about feelings? I can feel from here the kinds of emotions you're wrestling with, and you're not all sweetness and light, like your sister!"

It was Nabiki's turn to scowl, "Okay...so I'm not all good, so I've got my dark shades, so I'm not all that damned perfect. I've still got a lot over you when it comes to knowing what I want, and what I want is someone like Ranma. He means something to me...but what can he possibly mean to you?"

"He can mean a lot to me...!" Ukyo started to say, only to halt in mid-sentence.

"Yeah?" Nabiki asked skeptically, "Such as?"

"He...he was nice to me, that's all," Ukyo's frown deepened, "All right...so I was...mistaken about him...so I blamed him for having an idiot for a father...so I was an idiot myself for thinking he betrayed me at the age of six...that still makes him a better man than anybody else I've ever run into..."

"And you want a man in your life, huh?" Nabiki made an intuitive leap and smiled as she added, "Because without a guy you'd have to live up to the fact that you enjoy having sex with my sister!"

Ukyo flinched, "But...I..."

"And not just Akane," Nabiki continued, "You've been having sex with Shampoo, and you enjoy it! So, what does that make you, a Lesbian? Could be you are, you know...you dress like a boy, so maybe you're just cruising..."

"You're cruising for a bruising, Tendo!" Ukyo grit her teeth and took a threatening stance, "That's it, I'm gonna pound you flat-!"

"For telling the truth about you?" Nabiki tossed an aloof look at her rival, "Or can you look me in the face that tell me that I'm lying?"

"I..." Ukyo tried to work herself up into a righteous wrath, but the cool, reserved look her rival returned to her did something that defused her anger, so rather than attack she found herself fuming impotently, trying to find a good rebuttal for the accusation.

"Tell me straight up, Kuonji," Nabiki said with neither anger nor contempt in her voice, "Do you like my sister, or does she just annoy you? Do you hate the way she comes on to you, or do you actually deep-down like it?"

"And what the hell does it mean to you?" Ukyo asked indifferently, "You gonna punish me for having a thing with your sister?"

"Not me," Nabiki shook her head and started to relax her stance, "If anything I think I'm relieved that Akane might have found someone like you, because if there's anything my little sister needs besides a clue, it's someone who's strong enough to stand up to her and tell her when she's full of cow manure."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, surprised upon hearing that declaration.

"You think I don't know what Akane's like?" Nabiki asked, "Okay, maybe I've looked the other way, and maybe that makes me responsible for not trying to rein her in and tell her that she pushes things too far, but maybe Akane just doesn't want to hear that coming from a family member, let alone her sister. From you, maybe it'll mean a difference, so even if you don't like her that way, you could do me a favor and tell her to stop screwing around and dipping her wick into the poontang."

Ukyo was actually taken aback at the blunt way in which the middle Tendo sister phrased that, but before she could even think of anything else to say her senses came on full alert and she moved before the thought was even complete in her mind that someone was about to attack her.

Kaori cursed silently to herself at seeing her opening attack go wild, but with a flip of her wrist she used her chopsticks to direct her line of noodles at the other girl, causing Nabiki to flinch as she found them wrapped around her waist. Another flick of the wrist and the noodles were yanked back, spinning Nabiki around like a top and causing her to lose her grip on her delivery box of ramen.

"Oh no!" Nabiki cried as she tried to recover in time, only to see her box strike the ground several meters away.

"Hah, you lose!" Kaori crowed, then turned her focus towards Ukyo, "And now for you..."

"Oh no you don't!" Ukyo cried as she lashed out with a foot and caught Kaori on the side of her chin, tumbling the other girl to the ground and watching with satisfaction as her delivery box was promptly shattered, "Hah, take that! Kuonji school trumps Daikoku school..."

"Guess again," Kaori smiled as she righted herself and held up a finger...upon which was balanced a steaming bowl of ramen, "The box is not important, it's the ramen that really matters."

"My point exactly," Ukyo smiled in a way that conveyed neither warmth nor humor, and with a jab of her own finger she shattered her own delivery box, leaving the bowl of ramen untouched and spinning, "Care to make this interesting? First to drop their bowl loses the match?"

"Agreed," Kaori assuming a fighting stance with chopsticks in one hand and ramen bowl in the other, "Kuonji School...I have heard of you But I thought your specialty was okonomiyaki."

"It is," Ukyo replied, "But I try to be more diverse these days."

"How cosmopolitan of you," Kaori replied, then launched her attack with a snarling, "But I won't let you stand between me and my promised husband!"

"He's my promised husband too, you Bimbo!" Ukyo cried as she met the attack and countered it with one-handed blows of her hand and both feet moving to rapidly kick and block the attacks of her rival.

Nabiki stared at the shattered bowl, ignoring the fight taking place only a few meters away, staring at the spilled ramen and feeling her own dreams had been shattered, only to look up in surprise as she found Kasumi standing beside her.

"Here," Kasumi said, handing Nabiki her own delivery box, "Take this and cross the finish line."

"Oneechan?" Nabiki blinked.

"I mean it, Sister," Kasumi replied with surprising resolve, "One of us must win and you are the only one left. I will stay here and make certain that no one prevents your winning."

"But...why?" Nabiki wondered.

"Because I know how much this means to you," Kasumi replied, "And you know that I would never stand between you and your happiness."

"Oneechan?" Nabiki blinked.

"Saotome Ranma is special, we both know that," Kasumi informed her, "And we can't allow anyone else to become engaged with him...and I think you know the reason why."

Nabiki's eyes became wide with surprise and comprehension, but then she turned and studied the fight going on, only to have her eyes be drawn back towards the other fight taking place between Ranma and Kuno, and then she began to say, "But..."

"There is no time for a debate, Sister," Kasumi gently-but-firmly gave Nabiki a push towards the finish line, saying, "Go now before something else can happen.'

"Ah...right," Nabiki replied, seeing the sense of her sister's arguments but feeling also an enormous sense of guilt and obligation.

However, during a pause in the fight between Kaori and Ukyo, the former chanced to see the pass-off of the delivery box between the Tendo sisters and realized with a start that her match with Kuonji was about to become academic. She quickly reached into her vest and pulled out a second pair of chopsticks, causing Ukyo to move to a more defensive stance, which provided Kaori the very opening which she needed.

"No you don't, Tendo-san!" she cried as she whipped the chopsticks off and aimed them for the retreating Nabiki, striking the other girl at a precise point on her ankle.

Nabiki gave a sharp gasp and stumbled forward, almost dropping the delivery box, only to catch herself at the last instant so that instead of falling she sank gracefully down on one knee.

"Imotochan?" Kasumi asked, having only belatedly reacted to the attack.

"My ankle...!" Nabiki winced, rubbing the spot with two fingers.

"Hey!" Ukyo reacted, "What the...?"

"Did you want her to win?" Kaori asked with a nasty smile on her lovely features, "You should have told me so, but now she'll difficulty limping her way to the finish line, which greatly improves both of our chances."

Ukyo frowned, then without a second thought tossed her ramen bowl towards Kasumi, "Here, catch!"

"Eh?" Kasumi stretched out a hand and automatically caught the bowl in the field of her telekinesis, "But...why?"

"You gave her your bowl?" Kaori's expression was incredulous, "But...why?"

"Because looking at you is like looking into a mirror, Sugar," Ukyo smiled, "And I don't much like what I've been seeing. Go on, Tendo-san...you know what needs doing. Take your sister and get going."

"I...all right then, Kuonji-san," Kasumi reluctantly agreed, reaching out a hand and saying, "Lean on me, Nabiki-chan. We will do this together."

Nabiki's eyes were very wide as she accepted the hand offered to her, and then stood up again with her older sister's assistance.

"What are you doing?" Kaori asked incredulously, "You want them to win?"

"I don't want to lose, if that's what you mean, Sugar," Ukyo grinned nastily, "But I've just decided that I'd much rather kick your ass than cross the finish line for a guy who doesn't really love me..."

Meanwhile the "guy" in question was having it out with Kuno Tatewaki, fighting on an even level with bokkens exchanging blows in a rapid exchange of clacking wood, sounding like a staccato fireburst. Tatewaki was so amazed to find his opponent holding her own that by the time his vision finally cleared and he discovered that she was, in fact, a girl, the sense of her formidable fighting prowess had already been imprinted, leaving him to gasp, "A woman?"

"Surprise!" Ranma-chan declared, seeing an opening and going in for the kill, using her foot to catch him soundly in the solar plexus, which sent Kuno flying backward.

This time his flight rearwards was halted by an abrupt encounter with a tree, which sufficiently stunned Kuno that the fight was momentarily knocked out of him, leaving him stunned and barely conscious.

"Hah, loser!" Ranma-chan smiled, resting her bokken on her shoulder, "He wasn't that tough. So...who's winning-huh?" she blinked, "Ucchan? Oboy...!"

Ranma-chan took off at a run, not hearing Kuno's tight little gasp as he watched her leave, "She moves...with such swift grace...such...power..." and then he finally gave up the fight and let sleep overcome his warrior spirit...

Tendo Soun and his wife could barely contain their enthusiasm as they watched their girls approaching the finish line together. The rest of the audience was a bit more confused at seeing such cooperation between competitors but were nonetheless enthusiastic about the conclusion to such an exciting match. The one party who was most definitely NOT enthusiastic was Mr. Daikoku, who frowned mightily and declared, "That isn't fair...someone else is keeping my Kaori too busy to finish her own match!"

"I thought you were the one who said that there were not to be any rules to this match," Trieste kindly pointed out, "But let's not begrudge my two students, they have more than earned this moment, don't you agree?"

"Oh yes!" Nodoka answered before Daikoku, all but hugging herself in her excitement, "And they're both such beautiful daughters...I wish both of them could marry my Ranma."

"At the same time?" Genma blinked, his expression registering faint dismay and amazement.

Nabiki knew that she was slowing Kasumi down, but nonetheless the moment when they did cross the line was a thrill and a half, the moreso as this meant that they had won the match together and now shared the right to be Ranma's fianc es. She looked up at Kasumi with renewed gratitude and said, "Oneechan..."

"This is how it should be, Nabiki-chan," Kasumi assured her, "You are my sister and I love you, and I could never be happy if you were not happy as well."

Nabiki felt tears threaten to betray her right then as she smiled towards Kasumi, but before she could say anything they heard Kaori cry out, "Just a minute-I protest!"

"Protest what, Sugar?" Ukyo asked as she paused in their uneven struggle, having chased a retreating Kaori across the finish line with the latter clearly on the defensive, "You lost the match, admit it!"

"I admit nothing!" Kaori declared as she held up her bowl triumphantly, "You see? My ramen is intact, but the same cannot be said for the Tendo sisters!"

"What?" Nabiki declared in outrage, "No way!"

"See for yourself," Kaori said smugly, "Open the box and weep."

Nabiki did as directed and visibly blanched, for the bowl of ramen had been shattered in two halves, spilling the contents all over the insides.

"But...how?" Kasumi blinked.

"Seven Luck Gods Special Technique," Kaori grinned, holding up her chopsticks, "It can shatter a box or a bowl with but a single strike, and while you were distracted by the wound to your ankle my real attack was directed at your ramen."

"You dirty snake," Ukyo frowned, "You're even better suited to be a Sith than I am."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kaori smiled, then pointed her chopsticks at the bowl of ramen held by Kasumi, "And see there? Her bowl is missing the fish cake, which is the heart of the ramen bowl, and without that it is incomplete, which means that my bowl is the only intact one to cross the finish line..."

A gasp of shock and horror passed through the crowd, expressed most visibly by Soun, who all but fainted. Conversely Mr. Daikoku was elated, "Kaori! You once again give pride to your father!"

"But of course," Kaori preened, "I am the best there is in our family art, father."

"Just a minute!" Ranma-chan called out, "You haven't won just yet!"

"Huh?" Ukyo turned and blinked, "Ranchan?"

"Ranko," Ranma-chan corrected as he trotted past the former Sith Apprentice, "I'm Saotome Ranma's sister and I say you lost, Kaori-san..."

"Lost?" Kaori bristled, "Impossible!"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma-chan held up an object for their inspection, "See this? It's the missing fish cake, which you plucked off Ucchan's ricebowl when she wasn't looking. And I know just where it belongs, too!" and with that she tossed it expertly and saw it land exactly in the center of the bowl still held by Kasumi.

"The bowl is now complete," Ranko folded her arms, "Which means you lost, you cheater."

"Kasumi is the winner," Kimiko smiled, "Do you hear that, Soun-chan? Kasumi won the match!"

"She won?" Soun blinked, then smiled, "She won! A year's supply of Ranma and Ramen's hand in marriage-ah-I mean...the other way around...!"

"No!" Kaori cried, "The bowl was not complete when she crossed the finish line, which means she lost!"

"Now who's being a sore loser, huh?" Ukyo grinned, "Talk about crying over spilled ramen..."

"I do not concede this!" Kaori protested, "I am the winner of this match and-"

All at once she was cut off by a slender hand that was laid upon her shoulder, and when she turned about to see who it was she gasped to see the predatory smile on the lips of Shampoo, who took Kaori into her arms and planted a kiss upon her lips before Kaori could even think of issuing a protest.

"Wo ai ni," Shampoo cooed sensuously, holding the stunned Kaori in her sinuous embrace, "You defeat Shampoo in race, now Shampoo give you kiss of life. You like that?"

Kaori was too stunned to say otherwise, becoming as petrified as the proverbial statue.

"Lucky girl," Akane leered, "Took a while to get loose from that pasta trap of yours. Soooo...Ucchan," she sidled up alongside her favorite okonomiyaki chef and purred, "What about you? Did you give up on Ranma...or was it just a random act of senseless kindness that made you give your bowl to Kasumi?"

"Let's just say my honor is satisfied and leave it at that, okay, Sugar?" Ukyo shrugged, "Or maybe I just decided I'd have a better time looking in the mirror from now on. Either way, I made my point and now I'm ready to move on. Ranchan and me...we'll still be buddies, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Ranma-chan replied, looking both relieved and disturbed at one and the same moment, "Buddies...no problem..."

"Well, Daikoku-san," Trieste turned to the little man with the impossibly big-  
ears, "Are you ready now to concede your claim upon Saotome Ranma?"

Mr. Daikoku looked far from happy about the matter, but before he could say anything he heard the impossibly old woman at his side say, "If not, then perhaps my great-granddaughter might like to claim her for herself. It is about time that she thought about settling down, and with a man in the picture we could be assured of having grandchildren."

"Ah..." Mr. Daikoku visibly sweated, "On second thought...perhaps we could concede the issue..."

"What you hurry to decide?" Shampoo asked lasciviously, her arms still wrapped around the unmoving Kaori, "Maybe Shampoo no want to surrender Airen now that she find her, or maybe we just make nice-nice together and Shampoo declare her honorary sister?"

"Gah-!" Kaori sprang to life, breaking free from the embrace of the purple haired wonder (who notably did not make much of a struggle to try and keep her), "Father...in due consideration of the relative issues, perhaps we might convene a private meeting elsewhere...like, now?"

"Ah...well..." her father hesitated, only to be grabbed around the collar by Kaori.

"I said NOW, father...as in right away," Kaori declared, all but dragging her father off in the direction of their family limousine.

Shampoo heaved a sigh, "This one lose more good ones that way..."

"Well played, Child," Cologne smiled inscrutably, "But if the other Elders in our village ever hear about this..."

"Hear about what, Hibiichan?" Shampoo asked with a patently innocent expression.

The old woman nodded, "My point exactly."

"So," Nabiki smiled at Ranma-chan, "You and Kasumi, huh?"

"Um...well..." Ranma-chan squirmed uncomfortably, "I was...uh...kind of hoping...well, y'know, that I wouldn't have to choose between you..."

"That is quite all right, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said gently, "No one is going to force you to do anything that you do not want to do of your own volition. I did not enter this match to try and win you for myself, I wanted to give you a choice about who you want to marry...and when you want to marry since it would probably be a good idea to finish High School first. And besides, I don't want to deprive you of a choice if it turns out to be Nabiki who you...well...oh my..."

"Oneechan?" Nabiki arched and eyebrow at that, but then turned back to Ranma-  
chan and said, "We can work out the details over time...and like Oneechan says, there's no hurry, right?"

"Right," Ranma-chan sighed in relief, "No hurry."

"Hmph," Akane sniffed, "You ask me he just wants to have the both of 'em for his harem."

"And you don't?" Ukyo tactfully murmured into the other girl's ear.

All at once another figure appeared, stumbling and looking like something dragged in by the cat and promptly rejected, an almost unnoticed Ryoga, who managed to croak out the name, "U-Uchan..." and promptly fainted again with his face crossing the finish line, all but unnoticed.

"Ryoga-kun?" Ukyo blinked.

"Poor guy," Akane said, "Looks like we'd better carry him back to the restaurant."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed with a sigh, "Pig boy such a handful...",

Ranma-chan suddenly felt the hand of Soun fall upon her shoulder as the older man leaned forward and said, "There now, Son, there's no rush, like Kasumi says. You can find your own way and wait until you graduate before you marry..."

"Uh...thanks, Mr. Tendo," Ranma responded.

"...Just as long as you chose either one of my two beautiful daughters," the Tendo patriarch concluded smoothly."

"Uh...right," Ranma winced, wondering if he'd just gone from the skillet to the ramen bowl but deciding, for once, to leave questions like that for the unknown future, hoping that he would live that long as his luck was proving out that a happy life, for him, was far from a certified given...

"So," Taro said without glancing at his mentor, "Saotome's gonna go for the two older frails, huh? Looks like Ukyo just tossed him over like yesterday's laundry."

"Perhaps," Purse hissed slyly, looking down from the lofty height of a nearby building upon which he and his chief remaining student were positioned, "But matters are proceeding smoothly enough where it really matters, and I am hardly dissatisfied over that."

Taro glanced at the fallen Kuno and said, "You really think that guy's gonna throw in with us now that he's been rejected by his love obsession?"

"Who knows?" Purge mused, "Humans have done worse for even less reason, but it may be that he will need a bit more nudging before he comes around to seeing things our way."

"Don't see what's so special about him," Taro shrugged, "Take away that stick of his and he's just a so-so-fighter."

"Indeed," Purge remarked, "Something will have to be done about that...eventually, but at least he won't lack for motivation," and in contemplating the motionless Kuno he smiled an entirely reptilian smile, the kind that had no warmth, that drank in warmth and left only coldness, and which promised ominous things in store for an unwitting youth named Kuno Tatewaki...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Cluster Bomb Flaming: shadowmane

Things settle in to a pattern as Ranma renews his training with Nabiki and Kasumi, but is it all sweetness and light now that his relationship problems appear to be settled? And what of Ukyo, will she be courted by Akane...or is there another potential suitor waiting in her wings? Stay tuned next time for: "Skating on the Dark Side," or "Have Watermelon Will Slice!" Be there!

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If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	24. Chapter 24

Jedi Kasumi24

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and George Lucas, with ideas and inspiration provided by my good friends Brandon Kelly and Bill Guiroff)

Episode 24/7:

Having resolved the challenge posed to them by Kaori Daikoku, Ranma and the Tendo sisters resolve to enjoy some quality time, while Akane and her cohorts, Shampoo and (a somewhat reluctant) Ukyo attempt to return to a fairly "normal" routine, unaware of the terrifying fate that awaits them come the following morning...

In his young but active life, Saotome Ranma would NEVER have imagined that there would ever come a time when he would be grateful for something as common as a regular school day. Granted that he had not seen a lot of schooling while on the road with his old man, and that the last one that he had attended before his disastrous trip to China had been that Middle School where he had last encountered Ryoga, and what a mess that had turned out to be. It made Ranma wonder how, with his academic record, he had ever been accepted into Furinkan, even given that the place was a far cry from a "normal" High School.

But still, with all the excitement of the last few days, he was glad to be doing something fairly ordinary like attending class, even though he thoroughly expected it to be as boring as he could ever remember. In fact "boring" was sounding mighty good these days, a dark sight preferable to what passed for "excitement" in his life. Boredom would at least allow him time to think for himself (as difficult as that act tended to be on most occasions) since he had a lot to think about and did not need too much more distraction.

The race with Kaori had given him a lot to consider, after all, especially since the outcome had given him a lot of traction on the subject of his tentative "engagement" to one (or both) of the older Tendo sisters. By intervening as he had to assist both Kasumi and Nabiki he had all but stated a preference for the two of them, a semi-commitment that his parents both encouraged and applauded. In truth he had done it as much to prevent the engagement of Kaori from interfering with his sort-of relationship with the other two girls, as perplexing as it was at times for him to try and figure out what made most women tick, let alone understand why they all seemed so intent on claiming him for their husband.

As proud and haughty as Ranma could be in all things relating to the martial arts, it was the marital arts that left him confused and feeling totally out of his depth, and not just because he felt way too young to be settling down with a wife and family obligations. In truth whenever a girl got too close to him in the "scary-uncertain" domain of emotional contact he felt a kind of terror come over him that was very different from his ailurophobia, but nonetheless tended to make him react to a girl as though she were a human cat-type person (he shuddered a bit as Ukyo's cursed form briefly passed through his mind, grateful that his former best friend had seemingly given up on her claims in this matter, though even still he felt strangely confused and awkward about that).

Thinking about Nabiki he found himself liking her a great deal, especially since she was so approachable and reasonable in most things, very outgoing and friendly towards him and not at all afraid to explain things in careful detail that he could actually understand, not condescending towards him for being mentally "slower" than herself in technical matters. She was nice, pretty, very much attractive to him, and a surprisingly good friend whom he was learning to count upon, finding it easy to confide in her without fear of having his trust be betrayed or his confidence in her be broken. He also was discovering that there were depths to her personality that she usually kept to herself, an even nicer person whom he was coming to respect the more time he spent around her. Around him she seemed willing to open up as she seemed to do with no other person, and Ranma sensed that this was very unusual for her as though such trust did not come easy, and for which he felt oddly flattered.

She also tended to scare him a lot whenever she smiled in a certain way, or gave him a coy look that seemed to imply something else was at work in her regard of him which he could not understand beyond a vaguely instinctual level. Being closer to her made him feel...funny...like butterflies were holding a tournament in his stomach, and at times like that he found himself doing something extremely hard for a young man with his casual nature...which was to actually think about what he was saying lest he use an improper comment that might inadvertently hurt her feelings.

In truth he enjoyed sparring with her a lot more than he would have ever expected with a girl, enjoying the way she would try and go all out against him, both with the Force and just relying on her physical skills as a fighter. In the one field she had a clear advantage, but in the other the advantage was his, and so they were learning a lot from being around one another, and he was coming to respect her as a fellow student of the Art, even as he was her junior in the Jedi arts that Trieste was teaching them both. In battle against her there was a kind of competitive joy that surpassed all questions of their relatively uneven skill levels, as though being engaged in combat with her were a kind of a game that they were playing with each other. He felt strongly attracted towards her and could admire her poise, grace and balance when she seemingly floated across the wooden floor of the dojo, a picture of beauty who reminded him very much of a gazelle in flight, and watching her move could sometimes affect in a very odd way that he had rapidly discovered had very little to do with matters of conflict.

He knew that she wanted to be closer to him, had raced in the match for the singular honor of becoming his sole fianc e, but anything beyond this tended to make Ranma's brain freeze up as his imagination refused to supply any speculative details. Just what she wanted from him, other than to be his wife, he could not actually say, his ignorance in such matters so abysmal that he was afraid to ask directly of either Trieste or his mother for dread of knowing the details.

And then there was Kasumi, the older of the two siblings, a puzzle in more than one sense of the word since she also made him feel extremely funny whenever she was around, especially when she smiled in his direction. Taller and even more beautiful than Nabiki, with a gentle manner that was even more feminine and a kind of hidden inner strength that could astonish him at times, considering how the appearance that she presented to the world did not even hint at the power she possessed. She was strangely calm and entirely unassuming, the very opposite of what he would have expected from a woman with her astonishing gifts. She was easily the most powerful young woman that he had ever encountered, her command of the Force, coupled with her combat skills, giving her a considerable edge in sparring matches that Ranma had come to respect after being on the receiving end of some of her more powerful combinations.

Beyond her strength and beauty there was something else about Kasumi that made Ranma feel strangely calm and powerfully attracted towards her, like a moth to the flame of a candle. Kasumi was not just a very nice and overly polite person, she was wise and courageous and compassionate beyond anything in his experience, as understanding as she was forgiving...and yet somehow very lonely in spite of this, very much set apart from others by the very uniqueness that made one feel around her as though they were in the presence of a Kami.

In truth Kasumi was both nurturing and needful, having walked a path nearly all of her life that had given her few companions and even fewer friends who could understand her. Being around her made Ranma aware that her strength was not absolute, that she had desires of her own that very much made her like any other young girl who wanted a husband who could feel for her what she felt and who could make her feel special. Just why it was that she had settled upon him was beyond Ranma's understanding, but he knew implicitly that she needed him, and that he liked to be needed by her, that she could ask anything of him and he would gladly accommodate her. She deserved only the best, after all, and while he hardly felt worthy or anywhere near to being in her class, he was more than willing to try. It was nothing less than what he owed her, being in her debt for having rescued him a few days back, even as she had taken injuries for his sake that had wounded him (on an emotional level) almost as deeply.

Thinking all of this in the minutes before class began, he almost failed to miss hearing the more annoying tones of the *other* Tendo sibling for whom he felt nothing more than an acute sense of annoyance. In tones which grated upon his nerves he heard her declare, "...But honestly, Ucchan, I wasn't serious about Kaori. So I got a little distracted by her, it doesn't mean that I care any less about **You**..."

"Yeah, right," Ukyo snorted, "Pull the other one why don't you? Admit it, Tendo, you tripped yourself up but good that time, or are you gonna try and con me with that line of bull about you being betrayed by your own baser instincts?"

"Ah...well," Ranma could all but feel Akane wince without turning his head to confirm his suspicions, "It was...just a reflex, I mean...you saw what she looked like. Okay, so she had a crappy personality and was a real bitch where it counted, and I'm glad she lost since even *Ranma* doesn't deserve to be forced to marry someone like that..."

Ranma winced slightly in annoyance. Why was that Akane always so mean-spirited towards him? Just because of a little mistake in the furo, and later on when he had accused her of being a Tomboy, it just seemed to set some kind of a pattern between them and ever since they had been unable to speak two words in a civil tone towards one another. He was getting thoroughly tired of the matter and wished that she would give it a rest, especially in light of the fact that Ranma knew he was innocent of the charge of being a "Hentai." Heck, if anyone fit that term around here it most definitely was Akane!

"On that we do agree, Sugar," Ukyo was just then responded, "Ranchan deserves a lot better than some noodle-tossing witch who wants a trophy husband, though why it has to be your sisters that he's engaged with I'll never really understand..."

"Why?" Akane shot back, "What's wrong with my sisters?"

"You wanna list?" Ukyo sarcastically responded, "First off, there's Nabiki, the smart-mouth, the only one in your family knows how to balance a checkbook. There's something about her that's always set my teeth on edge, though I'm hanged if I know what it is. I just know that she treats Ranchan like she owned him, and maybe she does since he's been nicer to her than he ever was around me. And then there's Kasumi...I mean, honestly...do you think it's natural for somebody to be that *nice* all of the time?"

"Well, what's wrong with being nice?" Akane reasoned, "I know Kasumi can be a little...airy at times, but she's wiser than the both of us put together and she's never gone out of her way to hurt anyone that I've ever heard of. Are you saying you'd like her better if she were the complete opposite?"

"I never said that," Ukyo sounded slightly ruffled by the question, "'Cause one of me's enough around this place. I'd just prefer it if she had a few flaws, some character defects or something, anything to make her seem less...perfect."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo spoke up in tones of mild exasperation, "You is just being silly. Spatula Girl still think she rival Sith to big sister Kasumi's Jedi? Try look in mirror, you no that evil."

"Yeah, and you never were either, Ucchan," Akane assured her, "You were bad but not that bad. I mean...if you were that bad then we never could have become such close friends..."

"Friends?" Ukyo arched her eyebrows at this, "I'm not sure exactly what we are, Sugar, not unless your definition of a friend is someone who two like to ambush whenever you're horny. Oh yeah, and while we're on the subject, did it ever occur to you two Horndogs that some people actually like to use a shower to clean themselves up before getting ready to attend classes?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo repeated again, "That too boring."

"Hey," Akane protested, "What have you got against sharing a shower, Ucchan? Don't you believe in conserving water?"

"I believing in conserving the bullshit," Ukyo snorted, "I can't believe how dirty I feel after letting you two clowns give me a full-body rub down, and for your information a bar of soap is supposed to go on the shower rack, not up my ass!"

"Hey, if it cleans you out, why complain?" Akane responded without the least degree of shame in her expression, "You don't want us to miss a spot like that, do you?"

"Why do I even bother?" Ukyo rolled her eyes, "I give up, you win. I might as well consign myself to never getting a full night's sleep again for the rest of my life..."

"This one think Spatula Girl protest too much," Shampoo said smugly, "If no like being with Akane and Shampoo, then you only need complain to great grandmother."

"I didn't say that I don't **like** you two coming onto me, Sugar," Ukyo sighed, "It's just...well...you ought give it a break once in a while. Most people aren't horny twenty four hours a day you know..."

"Aiyaa, how sad," Shampoo averred, "Shampoo pray for them to ancestors, hope they learn from error."

"Yeah," Akane smiled, "I feel sorry for people like that, they don't know what they're missing."

"Give me strength," Ukyo murmured faintly, though even Ranma was unable to tell if she meant that as a curse or in simple, tacit resignation.

Just then they saw the assistant principal appear at the door to their homeroom, and at once the restless mood of the class fell into line as they sensed that something was up this bright Monday morning. There was no sign of their regular teacher, which could mean a number of things, a substitute teacher being the likely logical outlook.

"Class," the Vice-Principal began, "If I might have your attention? Thank you. As you can see, Mr. Muhara will not be attending your class today. Instead, I would like to introduce you to your new Homeroom teacher, a lady who has demonstrated admirable talent as a disciplinarian who has helped to reform three other schools at which she previously taught. May I introduce to you Miss Hinako Ninamiya."

Ranma almost fell out of his chair, his elbow slipping off the edge of his desk as recognition hit home like the proverbial ton of bricks, causing him to start in disbelief as a young brown-haired girl walked into the room, all of maybe twelve years old and no more than a meter-plus-a-foot in height and wearing a yellow dress that looked a bit ridiculously large on her petite, girlish figure.

"Ohiyo!" she chirruped brightly as she took her place at the lead of their class, "I am Hinako Ninamiya, bad students and delinquents had better watch out because I'm on the job and intend to enforce school discipline and order."

There was a collective start, followed by blank disbelief, as the entire room took in their new Homeroom "teacher," Ukyo being the first to break the silence with a sharp, "What the hell...?" followed shortly by an "Aiyaa" from Shampoo's direction.

"What a...cute teacher," Akane said as diplomatically as she could manage.

"Ain't she a little young for you, Sugar?" Ukyo asked.

"Come on, Ucchan," Akane flustered, "You know I didn't mean it like that..."

"It's her?" Ranma murmured aloud, recognition sending alarm bells ringing in the back of his mind.

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo reacted once again, "You know child-teacher, Little Brother?"

"Ah...kind of," Ranma replied, staring at the young girl with his newly expanded perception of such things and discovering an irregularity in her aura that he found both alarming and disturbing.

"The reason why we have hired Miss Hinako is to bring order and discipline back to Furinkan High School," the Vice Principal informed them, "As recent events have proven an alarming increase in the violence attending this school, this was deemed necessary, so show your new teacher the proper respect and all will be well for the remainder of the semester."

"Discipline problems?" Ranma heard one of the mail students-Daisuke, he believed his name was-asked in mild dismay.

"Is he talking about those guys who attack Akane every morning?" the student next to him murmured softly, "But...what can a little kid like that do?"

"And now," the "little kid" in question resumed, "I should like to introduce a new classmate who will be attending your homeroom. He is a very bright but sensitive young man whom I expect you all to show the proper kindness. His name is Hikaru Gosunkugi. Gosunkugi-san?"

Ranma turned with a start and saw the young man from the other day timidly step into the room, a youth approximately his own age but as far down the ladder of physical development as you could get without being in a wheelchair. He was not only slightly built, he was downright scarecrow-ish, and with sunken features on a too-pale face that suggested that he was not in the best of health. His eyes looked haunted as they shifted about the room before turning inexorably towards Ranma, at which point there was a brief flash of recognition.

To the other students it was as though a ghost had just walked into the room, either that or the walking dead, and not a few made warding signs as if expecting him to be a Youma. With exaggerated self-consciousness the new student took his seat near the back of the room and huddled down with shoulders haunched, looking gaunt and vaguely like a vulture perching, only one who was afraid that he might wind up as carrion to the predators who might be looking on from all directions.

"Now then," the Vice-Principal clapped his hands together, "With that business settled, I will leave you all to become better acquainted..."

As if on cue the sounds of pandemonium were heard to ring out from the window off to Ranma's left, causing him to flinch as he recognized one particular voice raised up in a cheerful, "WHAT A HAUL, WHAT A HAUL!"

"Eh?" Miss Hinako moved to the nearest window and stared down in time to see the little man holding the large sack of lingerie, followed by a large swarm of angry female students, all of whom were brandishing weapons ranging from rakes to brooms to bo-staffs.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said as she and the other students left their seats and crowded up towards the window.

"Not that old man again?" Ukyo groaned.

"Grandfather Happosai is on the rampage once again," Akane growled softly, "What say we go down there and teach that pervert a lesson?"

Hinako, however, did not wait around as she cried out, "That delinquent!" and without hesitation vaulted out of the window.

Ranma could hardly believe what he had just witnessed, and immediately he dove out after his new teacher, hearing the cry of the boy named Gosunkugi raised in alarm, along with several others. He was just able to catch up with the hurtling girl, at which point he wrapped his arms around her and got his legs down underneath him, catching and breaking their fall with as much ease as a regular landing, a three story fall being hardly sufficient to bother a martial artist of his caliber, of course, especially since he had timed his landing to place Happosai directly underneath them.

"Are you crazy?" Ranma asked as he vaulted off the prone old man and set Hinako down on her feet, "You could get hurt doing a fool stunt like that..."

"How dare you talk disrespectfully towards your teacher?" the young girl angrily declared, flashing eyes on him that were full of childish fury, "I knew what I was doing!"

"Yeah, sure," Ranma scoffed, "Look, Teach, the old man is kind of like a family problem, and if it's all the same to you I think I'm better suited to handle him..."

Even as he said this he heard the women catch up with their fallen tormentor, and with gleeful wrath proceeded to pummel the old man with their chosen weapons, giving him added kicks to further punish his misbehavior.

"...Or not..." Ranma could not help smiling slightly, "Looks like Gramps got what was coming to him. Poetic justice if you ask me..."

"Eh?" Hinako looked up at him in surprise, "You mean...that old gentleman is your grandfather?"

Ranma winced, "He ain't kin to me if that's what you mean, but he's kind of like my old man's Sensei, not that the fool panda needed much help to learn how to be a total jerk as a father..."

Hinako kept on looking up at him, then asked, "What is your name, Student?"

"Huh?" Ranma replied, "Ah...Saotome Ranma."

"Ranma is it?" the little girl said primly, "Well, I can see that you certainly lack for manners, but...then again...I suppose you did think that you were coming to my rescue. Just the same, that does not excuse you for interfering in my duties as your teacher."

"Duties?" Ranma waved a hand "Teach, it's a three story fall! I could handle it easy, but I don't think the same is true for you..."

"Much as I hate to say it," Akane noted as she, Ukyo and Shampoo landed beside them, "But Ranma right for once, Teacher. It's dangerous to underestimate Grandfather Happosai."

"Yeah," Ukyo agreed, "The old man may be down for the count for now, but he's tougher to kill than your average cockroach."

"Is powerful but evil old Elder," Shampoo confirmed, "Even great-grandmother no think she can take him easy."

"I see," Hinako stared at the trio with curious scrutiny than said, "You have all had dealings with this fellow in the past I take it? Well, never mind all that. While he is here on school grounds, he is my responsibility to handle..."

"Teach, I don't think you're listening too good," Ranma said, "Didn't you just hear us tell you that the old fossil's a dangerous..."

"RAN-MAAAAAAA!" said 'old fossil' declared, angrily pushing himself back up to his feet with ancient eyes blazing, "This is all your fault, spoiling my fun and causing me to lose my treasure! This time you've gone too far! It's time you learned to respect your betters!"

Even as the old man spoke these words his battle aura flared to life, taking on a terrible glow that expanded out from his form like a hovering shadow that congealed a terrible wave of dark "Ki" power.

"Wow...what an aura!" Akane reacted.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo implicitly agreed.

"That old creep is doing that?" even Ukyo sounded dismayed, her eyes getting very round as she took in the strength of the Force that the old man was generating.

"Oboy," Ranma braced himself and said, "You guys better move back...this ain't gonna be pretty."

"RIGHT YOU ARE, RANMA MY BOY!" Happosai declared, moving his hands up in preparation to release the power of his Ki in one massive discharge, "GET READY TO BE FLATTENED-!"

All at once Hinako went into action, and before anyone could say anything to the contrary she pulled a coin out of thin air and cried, "ANYTHING GOES GOOD-GIRL FINAL ATTACK-PAIN, DEATH, ILLNESS, MAGIC!"

Ranma flinched out of the way barely in time as the solid wave of negative Ki energy swept past him, causing his Force-sensitive perceptions to go off the scale with alarm bells ringing. The others were already clear of the radius of the attack that was aimed towards Happosai, and suddenly the old man's battle aura was sucked away, snuffed out like a candle, the ancient pervert falling to his knees as the rest of his Ki was absorbed into Hinako, who began to expand in form and dimensions, gaining a foot in height as the rest of her filled out until her yellow dress no longer seemed quite adequate to contain her.

Seconds later Happosai collapsed, looking like a deflated balloon that could blow away in a stiff wind. Miss Hinako, on the other hand, tossed her long brown hair over one well-formed shoulder and gave a sultry look at the four round-eyed students eyeing her, and with a sultry purr she said, "Well now...do you still doubt that I am ably equipped to enforce discipline as your new homeroom teacher...?"

"I don't believe you sometimes," Ukyo growled several hours later.

"Huh?" Akane blinked, "What did I do now?"

"You know very well what I mean," Ukyo let her voice drip venom, "You were all but drooling over the new teacher the whole morning!"

"I was not!" Akane insisted, then shrugged, "At least...not after she reverted back to her child form. But you've gotta admit, for a while there...she really did look like something."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo shook her head in dismay, "Even great-grandmother never teach this one about technique that could do that. Is very powerful attack style, absorbing Chi energy, but Shampoo no think it a very good power. Is too much like Dark side..."

"I hear you there, Sugar," Ukyo shivered, "I don't think even Master Purge could pull off a Ki-suck like that if he tried. It just don't seem natural..."

"Is no natural," Shampoo replied, "Can only be done by manipulating Chi-flow throughout body. Only very high-skilled Elder know how do that, is very forbidden technique lost to Amazons many age ago."

"Well, somebody obviously discovered it," Ukyo replied with a frown, "But why do you suppose the new teach wanted to keep Ranchan late after class like that?"

"Who knows?" Akane sniffed, "Maybe she was giving him detention for general rudeness. At least it wasn't us. Say, you guys wanna go skating?"

Her two companions turned looks on Akane that would have been more appropriate if she had grown a second head. Shampoo turned her gaze from the cafe booth in which they were presently sitting to stare at the ice rink sporting arena at the center of the building in which they currently resided, then turned another look towards Akane and said softly, "Is you crazy?"

"Ah...skate?" Ukyo asked with a somewhat uneasy expression.

"What?" Akane glanced at her two friends, "Don't tell me neither one of you knows how to skate? It's easy!"

"Easy?" Shampoo reply with maximum skepticism in her voice, "Is where you strap on metal blades and walk out on frozen lake?"

"You mean they don't have skating out in China?" Akane grinned, "Come on...don't be like that, Shampoo-chan. I'm sure a martial artist like you could pick it up in no time."

"Ah..." Ukyo shifted her weight on the bench upon which she was presently seated, "I don't think I've put on a pair of skates since I was six years old, Sugar, and the last time I skated was with my old man."

"Hey, once you learn you never forget," Akane assured them, "It's like falling off a bicycle, nothing could be more easy...what are you doing?"

"This one is checking little sister Akane for temperature," Shampoo explained as she held her palm up to Akane's forehead, "Maybe you catch fever from head cold, can never be too careful."

"Hey, Nihao!" someone cheerfully called out, causing all three girls to turn their heads in time to see two of their fellow students approaching.

"Yuka-chan," Akane brightened, "Sayuri-chan...what's up?"

"What's up with you guys?" one of the two schoolgirls replied as she and her companion eyed both Ukyo and Shampoo with more than speculative interests, "You took off after class so fast that Yuka and me were wondering if you'd been scared off by the new teacher."

"Yeah," Yuka agreed, "And what's with the clannish way you've been behaving lately, Akane? Too good to share the wealth now that you've got yourself some new best friends to fool around with?"

"Ah...guys," Akane blushed slightly, "Sorry if I've been a bit busy...you've met Ucchan and Shampoo, right?"

"Only a few times coming and going," Sayuri replied, giving Shampoo an especially curious look, "Your hair..."

"Is natural," Shampoo promptly replied, having grown a bit tired with having to answer that question with nearly everyone whom she encountered. Nonetheless she leered back at the other girl and made a point to thrust her chest out as she added, "These natural too...you want this one show you?"

"Hey, would you?" Sayuri all but drooled at the prospect, "Gosh, you're so pretty. Are there many more like you in China?"

Shampoo was so surprised at having her flirtatious comment be returned that way that it took her a moment to answer, "Ah...yes...is whole village of Chinese Amazons..."

"Cool," Sayuri slid into the booth next to Shampoo and made a point of snuggling up close beside her, "My name's Sayuri...and you're Shampoo?"

"Xian Pu," Akane sounded amused as she replied, "It means Mountain Girl in Mandarin. She staying in the Furinkan Financial district with her great-  
grandmother and Ucchan here. Guys...meet my other best friends, Yuka and Sayuri."

"So, you're really a girl, huh?" said the one named Yuka as she snuggled in close to Ukyo in her booth, "I should have guessed...you're much too pretty to be a boy under all of that. I'm Yuka, by the way, and I'm very pleased to meet you."

Ukyo saw the hungry gleam in the other girls eyes and blinked her own once before turning to Akane and growling, "How did I guess that these two were YOUR friends?"

"Hey," Akane shrugged, "We've known each other since we were very little, and we've always been very...close friends. You mean you find that surprising?"

"Not really," Ukyo said, only to stiffen as she felt Yuka rest her head against Ukyo's shoulder, leaning closer to sniff and say, "You smell so nice..."

"Same here," Sayuri was leaning so close to Shampoo that the latter could only stare back with a transfixed expression, "You not only smell nice, you feel nice. No wonder Akane came onto you, you're just her type...and mine too, when you come right down to it."

Shampoo only blinked once and said a very soft, "Hiyaa..." unused to being this boldly propositioned.

"So," Yuka purred as she snuggled in even closer to Ukyo's flank, "You guys catch the new teacher? Kind of freaky the way she expanded out like that..."

"I know," Sayuri agreed, "But what a babe! I'll bet she could model with a body like that..."

"If she could stay adult long enough to model," Akane sighed, "Sure took down Grandfather Happosai, though...bet it'll be a while before he bothers anyone, the pervert."

"Excuse me?" Ukyo asked somewhat stiffly, "You're calling him a pervert?"

"Well yeah," Akane replied, "I mean...look at the old creep. All he ever does is chase and molest women...some martial artist he is."

"You don't say?" Ukyo replied with the maximum level of sarcasm in her voice, trying very gently-but-firmly to pry the girl named Yuka off her shoulder, "Ah...look, no offence, but this booth is getting kinda crowded, and I kinda like to breathe, if you know what I mean?"

"Sure thing," Yuka moved away a short distance but did not quit the booth altogether (nonetheless even that slight distance surprised Ukyo, who was expecting the kind of persistence that she was growing to expect of Akane), "So, you're new around Furinkan, what do you make of the place? Kind of a mad house until you get used to it."

"Get used to it?" Akane sniffed and rolled her eyes, "With my fan club always ready to let me know how much they like me every morning?"

"Oh yeah," Sayuri smirked, "Half those guys want to date you, and the other half wants to beat the crap out of you for messing with their girlfriends."

"And I don't know which is worse," Akane sighed, "They both tend to be soooo annoying..."

"How's that a gain, Sugar?" Ukyo asked, "You mean they aren't all out to date you?"

"Hardly," Akane rested her chin on the palm of one hand, "I can usually tell which is which by reading their auras. It's bad enough that some guys think they can 'convert' me, but the ones who can't get a clue about just why their girlfriends dumped them to go out with me are the ones I really can't stand to be around. And exactly why do they think that beating up on me is going to change that?"

"Boys fighting with girls sound perfectly normal to this one," Shampoo remarked, "But this one no think boys at Furinkan is very good fighters, little brother being exception."

"Little brother?" Sayuri blinked, "You mean Saotome Ranma? Is it true that he's dating both Nabiki AND Kasumi?"

"Like I have any say about it?" Akane huffed, "Yeah, it's true, but don't ask me what they see in the baka, it's completely beyond me..."

"So..." Yuka changed the subject, "How close has you guys gotten so far? You've only known each other, what? A week or two, or more? Have you done the nasty with Akane here yet?"

Ukyo was about to say that it was none of their business when Shampoo replied, "Is big surprise, yes?"

"Not with you it isn't," Sayuri openly leered at the Amazon, proving that Akane did not own exclusive rights to the expression, "If Akane hadn't bedded you both yet we'd think she'd gotten sick or something."

"Either that or been replaced by one of the pod people," Yuka cheerfully noted, "So...how are they? Is Ukyo here a groaner or a screamer?"

Ukyo got an extremely alarmed expression as Akane replied, "Oh, definitely a groaner, but, if it's all the same with you guys, I'd rather not go into any details."

"Awwww...come on, Akane," Sayuri urged with a girlish pout, "You've never been afraid to share with us before..."

"We like hearing all the juicy details," Yuka gave Ukyo a good impression of a hungry cat sizing up its dinner (or was that the Canary about to eat the Cat?), "And she looks really, really juicy. Is it true that you're the best there is at whipping up an okonomiyaki?"

"Ah...sure," Ukyo replied tentatively, "It's a family trademark..."

"I love okonomiyaki," Yuka licked her lips and made it very obvious that it was NOT okonomiyaki that she was considering for a meal, "Maybe you could let me try a sample sometime...Ucchan."

Despite herself Ukyo swallowed thickly, but to her complete surprise the other girl chose that moment to slide out of the booth and stand up again, the same as a more reluctant Sayuri.

"Well, it was nice chatting with you," Yuka cheerfully remarked, "But we're heading for the skating rink. Like to come along and bring your friends, Akane-  
chan?"

"Maybe a bit later," Akane declined, "We're still waiting for our lunches."

"Suit yourself," Sayuri winked at Shampoo and added, "Look you up later, Cute stuff. I love the cute way you talk, by the way, so many we can have an exchange of...foreign tongues, do you think?"

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo looked seriously intrigued at the prospect.

Akane waved to her friends as they left then said, "Nice guys, taught 'em everything they know..."

"Why don't I find that too surprising?" Ukyo gruffly snorted.

"Hey, they're okay girls when you get to know them," Akane assured, "And they mean well enough, but you don't have to look like they were about to pounce on you, Ucchan. I know it bothered you, but Yuka really isn't as bad as she pretends..."

"Really?" Ukyo let her tone drop several degrees Celsius, "And are all your friends like those two?"

"Naw," Akane chuckled, "They're just a couple of flirts I like to hang around with. Yuka and Sayuri are really tight with each other, but they like to sometimes take on a little variety by adding another girl into the mix, so you pretty much get one if you say yes to the other."

"And that's supposed to reassure me...like, how?" Ukyo wondered.

"Hey, they know me, and if I tell them to back off and leave you alone they will," Akane assured her, "But they're my friends and I just couldn't tell them to get lost right now, could I?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo replied without elaboration, her expression still distant and thoughtful as she stared in the direction to which the other two girls had just left.

"Riiiight," Ukyo growled out the world, her ruffled dignity making her lash out with the words, "And of course you wouldn't mind sharing me with them if they asked, right?"

"Ah...well, not if you were against it, no," Akane said with a faint hint in her tone that as much as implied that she would not have opposed such dalliance outright, "But that's up to you, really. I'd never force you to participate in a thing like that if you didn't want to do it, Ucchan."

"Why don't I feel better on hearing that?" Ukyo frowned, "Just how many other girls in our school are as brash as those two?"

Akane glanced away, her expression momentarily hurt, which did vaguely surprise Ukyo, "Ah...well...not everybody. Fact is...only a few girls are really comfortable with the whole Bi-scene. Most girls I know would deny it to your face if you asked them if they ever slept with me, but the ones who do admit to it are the ones who are the most comfortable bedding down with other women. I happen to know of a few who are secretly Bi or Lez, but they won't own up to it because they're afraid of what their parents might do, not to mention the faculty and the other students..."

Ukyo was puzzled by that reaction, "You mean some girls don't like owning up to the idea that you came onto them like you did with me?"

Akane sighed, "I mean that once in a while a girl will take things the wrong way, and then I have to explain things to my parents or whoever makes a fuss about it. One time a girl I knew really got into the Lesbian scene and started spending all her time bedding down with a fellow classmate, only her parents caught them in the act and raised holy hell about it, and the next thing I know I'm being blamed for corrupting the morals of their daughter. Took a while to sort that out, but for a month or so I was officially suspended. It still hurts to think about it."

"But that didn't warn you off from trying again?" Ukyo asked.

"Hey, I'm always hopeful that I'll meet the right girl sometime...like you, Ucchan," Akane smiled at her in what was meant to be a reassuring manner, "I've had a few close calls but nothing permanent just yet. It's not all that easy getting some people to let go of their social prejudices, to let it all hang out and enjoy the company of other women. Most of the time I never get beyond the dating stage, and it's a big event if a girl actually lets me kiss her."

"But you're the big, bad Tomboy on campus," Ukyo pointed out, "Aren't other girls afraid of what you might do to them if you get rejected?"

"Hey, I'd never force myself on anyone!" Akane protested, only to see the look that Ukyo gave her, to which she amended, "Um...I mean...anyone who couldn't fight back. I really don't like bullies, Ucchan, which is why I won't use my Jedi powers to 'convince' anyone to go out with me. It's a matter of pride, I want them to like me as a person, to get to know me better because there's something there that can make us both special."

"Yeah?" Ukyo asked, "So why don't you and Shampoo here go steady? Seems to me the two of you get alone famously, like two peas in a pod and all that."

"Um...well..." Akane turned a questioning look towards Shampoo and conceded, "That...is a good question..."

"This one likes her little sister very, very much," Shampoo acknowledged, "No mind spend much time with Akane...but this one still have Lotion and Perfume back home in China. No want to give up on cousins just yet even if Japanese girls very nice, soft and tasty."

Ukyo wondered how someone could put so much of a leer onto the word "tasty," but she was coming to suspect that the Amazon was the kind of girl who could make reading off the ingredients of a food label sound sexy.

"Anyway," Akane said seriously, "I've kind of got my heart set on someone else who's very special, and no matter what you may think of me, Ucchan, when I know what I want I can be very committed."

"Until the next cute thing comes along to attract your roving eye you mean," Ukyo scoffed, "Like with Kaori..."

"Not that again," Akane rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Ukyo...I know I can be tempted to look, but that's not to say that I want to go to bed with just anybody I happen to meet for the first time..."

"Oh yeah, Sugar?" Ukyo drolly responded, "Seems to me like you're ready to bed just about anything on two legs in a skirt at the drop of a kerchief."

"Ukyo, how can you say that?" Akane pleaded.

"Easy," Ukyo sniffed, "You've had, what? Seventeen girlfriends you've bedded in as many months? Sounds like the flavor of the month club to me. So what flavor am I, huh?"

"Okonomiyaki," Shampoo promptly answered with a smirk.

"It's not like that with me, Ucchan," Akane protested.

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo sniffed, "I'll bet you can't even name half the girls you've slept with!"

"Yes I can!" Akane said more passionately, only to calm herself down with some effort, "I remember my first girl...it was my cousin, Ami."

"Ami?" Shampoo asked with a raised purple eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Akane grinned, looking off into the distance, "She was a sweet young thing, very bookish and innocent, and we did it one night when we were alone and she was sleeping over at my place. My parents and Nabiki were out, Kasumi was on the road with Trieste, and I was feeling bored out of my skull, even thought there was a storm raging outside, and I got a bit...ah...nervous about the lightning..."

"You?" Ukyo blinked, "Scared of lightning?"

"Hey, I was fourteen and a half," Akane protested, "I didn't know any better, but Ami was so calm and in control as she explained to me why there was no real chance of lightning striking our house. She was kind of technical and nerdy and used a lot of big words that I didn't really understand, but at least she didn't have her nose buried in one of those damned books of hers, so we kind of started to chat and...well...one thing led to another, and before I knew it we were going at it like a couple of rabbits."

"You did it with your own cousin?" Ukyo said, sounding slightly more intrigued than disgusted at the concept.

"Sure did," Akane grinned, "And boy was she something else! Who knew under that bookish exterior of hers that she was such a hot-blooded hentai? I'll bet she thought about making out with other girls a long time before we actually did it. Funny thing is we look a lot alike and people sometimes mistake us for one another, like we were twins separated at birth or something. Of course she has blue eyes and mine are brown, but other than that you couldn't tell us apart if we dressed alike...ah, except she wears her hair short and mine is long and all that..."

"So what happened to her?" Ukyo wondered.

"Last I heard from her she was dating some girl from her school by the name of Makoto," Akane answered.

"Makoto?" Ukyo blinked.

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo reacted, "You know name of girl?"

"Ah...kind of," it was Ukyo's turn to glance away, "I knew a girl in Middle School by that name, but...it's probably just a coincidence..."

"Oho?" Akane perked up, "You mean you dated a girl before you knew us?"

"Hey, I never dated her...ah...I mean...not seriously," Ukyo winced before confessing, "Okay, maybe we did go out one or two times, but that was just to make sure that the other guys in our school didn't start talking about me being gay or whatever...I mean...when they thought I was a guy, just because I didn't dress in front of them in the lockers or try going out with other women..."

"But you make exception for this Makoto?" Shampoo mused.

"Ah...yeah...well...she kind of had this crush on me," Ukyo explained, "Not that I ever did anything to encourage it, but...well...one day I finally had to admit the truth to her, even though I think I broke her heart. I thought it was for the best. I had my duties to my Master and my training as a Sith, and...well..."

"And Sith don't care about the feelings of others, right?" Akane asked gently, "But you did...I can feel it."

Ukyo wondered why she did not feel more resentful at being forced to confess a story that was quite painful in her memories, but before she could think of anything coherent to say something else drew her attention, a pair of dainty hands that snatched her combat spatula up from where it was resting, crying aloud, "Georgette! Georgette! I've found you at long last!"

"Whaa...?" Ukyo spun about in time to see a frilly-haired girl holding her spatula in both hands and spinning about in delight as she all but danced with the bloody thing, to which she could only say, "Nani?"

"Hey!" Akane reacted more emotionally, "You let go of that! It belongs to Ucchan!"

"No!" the girl clutched the weapon to her chest and made a face at Akane, "She is Georgette, and she belongs to little Azusa!"

"Georgette?" Ukyo blinked, "Azusa? HEY...!"

"Oh man," Ranma groaned as he was finally allowed to leave detention, "What was that all about anyway, and why's the new teach picking on me...?"

"I don't know, Ranma-kun, perhaps you might care to tell me?"

Ranma spun about and said, "Nabiki?"

"You were expecting somebody else?" the older girl remarked with an affectionate smirk on her lovely features, "So, what is the story between you and the new homeroom teacher, Ranchan? And should I be jealous?"

"Hey, I'm not like that!" Ranma started to protest when he saw her smile and knew that she was pulling his leg, "Okay...so...you waited for me all this time."

"I wanted to have a chance to talk with you," Nabiki assured him, "But don't worry, I kept myself busy. I knew sooner or later they'd have to let you out for good behavior...um...well...sort of."

"Ha-ha," Ranma snorted, but then he brightened again, realizing that he really was glad to see her, "So...what did you want to talk about, Nabiki?"

"Oh, just general things," Nabiki replied with a coy look that had a lilt that Ranma found both intriguing and alarming, "Oneechan wants us both to attend a session with her at the dojo, but I thought we could spend some time together before then, and after all that's been happening these last few days..."

"Oh yeah," Ranma chuckled nervously, "Guess we could all use some time to relax, huh? I mean...what with the race and that stuff with the Sith and the new teacher I got in homeroom..."

"Yes," Nabiki purred with a curious gleam in her eyes that made Ranma feel even more nervous than before without quite knowing the reason, "I caught the show from my homeroom...very interesting indeed, especially the way she dealt with the old buy and expanded out a bit. But you were right there next to her, weren't you, Ranma-kun?"

"Ah," Ranma wondered why he felt like taking cover as she said this, "Kinda. I mean...it was weird. One minute she's just a kid, the next..." he made a vague gesture, hoping she would not ask for him to elaborate.

Nabiki gave him a cool appraisal before glancing off to the side and slyly noting, "You know, Ranma-kun, most girls would not be too happy about having their boyfriends ogle another girl, even when she's older and...pretty well developed. You're lucky I'm a more enlightened girl than that or I might be very cross with you over spending time around such a sexy teacher.'

"Hey, give me a break!" Ranma all but pleaded, "Most of the time she's just a kid, and it ain't my fault if she's got some weird condition that makes her spurt out like that. You ask me it smacks of magic or some kind of Ki manipulation..."

"Yeah," Nabiki dropped her aloof act and said, "Set alarms bells off for me too, and I wasn't even near to the attack when she sucked the life out of the old prune. I checked to see if Grandpa Happy was all right and he was just starting to recover, even tried to cop a feel off of me, which is how I know he'll live, much how some of us would wish it to the contrary."

"Yeah, that's too bad," Ranma replied with a shrug, only to frown and add, "If that old freak does try anything with you..."

"Not to worry, Ranma-kun," Nabiki gave him a knowing look, "I can handle myself when it comes down to it, but I'm glad to know that I can still count on you as backup. Anyway...whoever this Ninamiya Hinako is, I think we'd all better treat her with kid gloves until we can get a handle on how she does that Ki-such thing. I just wanted to make sure that she didn't try to make a light snack out of you, older women sometimes being predatory sorts and all that."

"Ah...no problems here, Nabiki," Ranma assured her, "The teach just held me after hours and made he write some boring essay about school discipline, then she gave me a lecture and let me go. I wasn't about to start nothing until I know how she does that magic coin trick of hers, and she's just a little kid for Kami's sakes. Ain't like she was gonna start nothing..."

"You'll forgive me if I don't take that on faith, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said as she boldly stepped forward and then very pointedly took his right hand into her own and drew him along as she gave him another sultry look and said, "Shall we be going?"

"Uh...right," Ranma said with a certain tightness, feeling both awkward and embarrassed at such a public display of proprietary interest on Nabiki's part, and yet at the same time very grateful to her for taking the initiative here as he would have lacked the nerve to do this on his own.

They began to leave the Furinkan campus with a lightness in their step that had not been there for many days, and Nabiki did seem to be enjoying the moment as she moved alongside Ranma casually holding his hand and acting as if she did not care if anyone saw them doing it or not. Ranma was pointedly reminded of how slender and soft her hand felt between his own more callused fingers, the differences between them being brought home rather pointedly so that he felt like swallowing past the lump that seemed to be blocking his throat, even as he cast sidelong glances at her and admired her comely profile.

"So," Nabiki began out of the blue, "What did you think about the race yesterday, Ranma-kun?"

"Ah...well...I'm glad you and Kasumi won instead of that Kaori," Ranma admitted bluntly, "I mean, sure she was nice to look at, but she doesn't hold a candle to either of you..."

"Really?" Nabiki sounded both surprised and pleased at one and the same moment.

"Yeah," Ranma replied, "I mean...um...well...you're you, and you're nice, and...well...I kinda got to know you and Kasumi over the last few weeks, and...well...um...you're..." he glanced off to the side and wondered if his cheeks were burning because it sure as heck felt like they were on fire at the moment.

"Ranma-kun," Nabiki sounded genuinely pleased, "I do believe you are trying to say that you find me attractive, and that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, ever. After all, I know that Kaori was much better looking..."

"No way," Ranma said flatly, "Looks like that don't mean much, it's what you're like on the inside that counts, right?"

"So," Nabiki mused, "You find me more attractive inside than outside, do you?"

"What?" Ranma blinked, "Ah...that ain't..."

"I'm just joking, Ranma-kun," Nabiki chuckled, "Try not to take everything so literally, especially when it comes from me. So...does the same hold true for Kasumi?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, wondering how in the name of the Kami they had gotten onto this particular subject.

"You do find Kasumi attractive...yes?" Nabiki prodded him very gently.

"Ah...yeah..." Ranma felt that tightness again as though he were being trapped into another fateful admission.

"More attractive than me?" Nabiki added with a quiet note of inquiry in her voice.

"Ah..." Ranma blinked, "Well...uh...kinda-I mean! How can I say that, Nabiki? I mean...you're both...and I...and..."

"Never mind," Nabiki sighed wistfully, "It wasn't a fair question. I guess what I'm really trying to ask is...do you like both of us, Ranma-kun? Equally? With no hesitation?"

"Uh...sure," Ranma confessed, "I like you both...a lot..."

"That's very good to hear," Nabiki mused, "Because, while Oneechan said that you should have the right to choose, and she did come in first place during our match, it is beginning to look as if you may be stuck with the both of us if our parents have anything to say about it, Ranma-kun...so I suppose the real question is...do you have any objections to dating two women at the same time, both me and my sister?"

"Both?" Ranma gulped, seeing the inquiring look in her eyes and finding his mind turn into limp ramen noodles, "Ah...I guess..."

"I see," Nabiki mused more coyly, "Then maybe Oneechan and I should take you out for a test drive just to find out if a three-way deal is feasible for the both of us, right?"

"Hah?" Ranma said blankly, his mind utterly refusing to process the words "test drive" to fathom what his sometime-fianc e was implying in that statement.

"Ranma-kun," Nabiki sighed again, "I want you to know that I respect you very much, that I've come to have a very high appreciation for you as both a friend...and an iinazuke. But there are times, I swear, when you can be as slow and as dense as Akane..."

"Hey!" Ranma protested, the thought of being compared to her younger sister being both disturbing and objectionable on a highly personal level.

"I'm just saying, Ranma-kun," Nabiki continued once again, "That...what happened between us yesterday has convinced me that we need to reevaluate our relationship in view of the fact that your father may have engaged you to other potential suitors besides Kaori."

"Uh...yeah?" Ranma swallowed, "You think?"

"Let's just say that I'd rather not take any more chances than we need to on that front," Nabiki assured him, "And I'd feel a lot safer if you could formally declare for one of us to nip any more nonsense in the bud before it happens. In all honestly, I want to be your iinazuke, but if it comes down to a choice of which of us should be officially engaged to you, then it's logical to pick Kasumi since she's the oldest and the one who should logically inherit the dojo. I'm willing to give Oneechan the lead and title as your legal wife if...the both of you don't mind allowing me to share in certain concessions..."

Ranma rapidly blinked his eyes and said, "Uh...excuse me, Nabiki, but...I think you lost me somewhere there. I mean...wife? I..."

"Oh?" Nabiki asked, "Do you mean to say that you're not interested in marrying Oneechan? Because if you're not..."

"That ain't what I mean..." Ranma gulped, "Ah...I mean...Kasumi...a wife? She's...ah...I mean...is that what she wants? Ah...because I wouldn't want to force her..."

"You can't be serious," Nabiki said dryly, "You mean you don't know how Oneechan feels about you after all this time of training with her, Ranma-kun? She loves you, you know, and if you didn't care about her, then you didn't have to give her that fish sausage..."

"But...I mean...what about you?" Ranma blurted, then got round-eyed as he realized his own admission.

"Me?" Nabiki gave him one of her more inscrutable looks and said, "I'd be happy to be your wife, Ranma-kun. You only have to ask me."

"But...um...really?" he gulped, wondering if he were imagining things or if she really was serious this time.

"I am totally serious," she said, proving once again how hard it was to keep anything from someone who was also a gifted telepath, "I'll be your wife if you want to marry me, but I'll be almost as happy to give that honor to Kasumi, depending on which of us you'd more want to marry."

"But...how can I choose?" Ranma asked, "You're both so...um...I mean..."

"Oho?" Nabiki arched and eyebrow, "You want to marry both of us? You're quite the Lothario, Ranma-kun, and I never suspected you had it in you."

"But...what...I...?" by now Ranma was totally bewildered, and his emotions were in an even more knotted state than his thoughts as he tried to get a grasp over what Nabiki was saying to him. Once again he was convinced that women were an entirely different species from men who used very different logic circuits to process information, either that or he really was as dense as Akane. It reminded him of how much smarter Nabiki was than him in most respects, and what a mistake it was trying to cross wits with her since he always felt like an unarmed opponent. About the only thing he did make sense of the whole affair was that she had stated plainly that she wanted to marry him, but that somehow she did not want to exclude her older sister either, which seemed to suggest...

Just then Ranma felt something impinge upon his senses, like a painfully sharp blow to the side of the head, but a second later he realized that it was not his own head that was being struck by an unknown assailant. He turned about and glanced down a darkened ally even as Nabiki copied the gesture, no doubt having perceived the exact same disturbance in the Force, which came from somewhere just a few blocks away, close enough that they could almost hear the sounds of an uneven battle, which set them both on edge in an instant.

"Nabiki..." Ranma started to say.

"I'm on it, Ranma-kun," she turned and let go of his arm, "It's coming from that direction."

Without a need to voice the thought between them they both took off at a run and vaulted over a wall before landing on the opposite side of the ally, and there they found the source of the disturbance in the person of one boy being assaulted by four others wearing animal masks.

"How do you like that now, Punk?" one of the quartet demanded, "Not so hot without your momma standing over you to hold your hand..."

"Yeah," a second punk belligerently shouted, "On account of you our Boss got sucked like a mummy. We lost our jobs on account of you leading her there, and now we're gonna get even!"

"And we ain't gonna rush things neither," a third punk nastily informed their victim, "We're gonna take our time with you and really make you suffer!"

"Leave him alone!" Ranma shouted as he and Nabiki approached the masked trio.

"You stay outta this!" a forth Punk demanded, pulling out a Tanto knife from concealment and holding it up in a threatening manner, "This ain't none of your-  
-!"

That was all he got to say before his face was driven into the nearest wall, his knife falling from nerveless hands as Ranma casually side-stepped the punk with eyes set levelly upon the others. A second punk took a swing at him and did not get the chance to regret his error before a single punch sent him sprawling down the length of the ally. Ranma spun on his own momentum and knocked the leg out from under a third punk who tried to kick him, then casually caught up the creep and tossed him over one shoulder, sending him sprawling in the dirt almost at the very feet of Nabiki.

"Who the hell are-?" the last remaining Punk demanded as his hand went into his jacket and came out holding a handgun. He might as well have been reaching for the room, however, as Ranma stepped inside his guard and smashed him into unconsciousness with an elbow, the caught the gun in one hand, giving the nasty looking object a contemptful flare seconds before reducing it to its constituent components.

"Very nicely done, Ranma-kun," Nabiki complimented, only to give a sharp kick to the prone man attempting to grab her by the ankle, sending him all the way over into unconsciousness, "No wasted motion, and very efficient."

"Thanks," Ranma said with faint disgust in his voice, "But these guys were nothing, and a martial artist shouldn't have to pick on weaklings, even if they are Yakuza."

"Yakuza?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow at that, "Are you certain?"

"I've dealt with punks like that before," Ranma hooked a thumb at his prone victims, "And only Yakuza guys could smuggle a handgun in past customs. Most places guns are harder to find than honest merchants." He turned and stared at the huddled boy on the ground and said, "You okay now, Man? They didn't hurt you too much, did they?"

Gosunkugi took a risk of uncovering his face to stare up at the face of his most recent benefactor, and then he blinked with recognition and amazement, seeing only open concern in the expression of his newly acquainted classmate.

"Man, twice in one week," Ranma tossed a glare at the unconscious hoods, "These low-lifes must really have it in for you. Gosunkugi, right? How you doing?"

"Ah..." Gosunkugi sat partially upright and looked around, surprised to see his tormentors were now in even worse shape than himself, looking very much as though they had just taken a tangle with cyclone.

"You know this guy, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked.

"Just met 'im the other day, Nabiki," Ranma explained, "Kasumi and me ran into these creeps trying to pick on this guy, only before we got there they had a little encounter with Miss Hinako. I think you can imagine how that turned out."

"Right," Nabiki knelt down and examined Gosunkugi's injuries, "That's a nasty gash you've got over one eye, and those bruises are gonna need some attention. Good thing Tofu-Sensie's clinic is close nearby, he can have you fixed up in no time. By the way, my name is..."

"Tendo Nabiki," Gosunkugi said, then gave a start as he looked up and said, "And you're...Saotome Ranma?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Ranma asked.

"I..." all at once Gosunkugi's eyes became unfocused and he stared off into space with a startled expression, saying the words, "I...I see danger...darkness looming over the both of you...and death in the wings...darkness holding fire...I..." and then he sagged, gasping aloud, "It's gone...I almost saw it..."

"Huh?" Ranma asked in confusion.

"He had a vision," Nabiki said excitedly, "I could almost see it in his mind. You're...clairvoyant?"

"Yeah...I guess," Gosunkugi seemed to be visibly sweating, "I want to thank you for...for coming to my rescue...but...but there's something...that you have to know..." and then he sagged back against the wall and slumped into unconsciousness.

"What the heck?" Ranma blinked.

"He's just exhausted, Ranma-kun," Nabiki replied with a sniff, "And, typically, right in the middle of when he was about to tell us something important. Come on, let's get him over to Tofu's place then we can find out what else was in his vision."

"I hope it ain't nothing bad," Ranma said as he easily lifted the slighter boy into his arms, "But it sounded like he was seeing some kind of danger."

"Sounded like that to me as well," Nabiki pondered, "He's obviously a sensitive, someone naturally gifted with psychic abilities, and quite obviously the use of his powers takes a lot out of him, and it doesn't help that he's obviously been treated very poorly by someone. I'd like to learn more about his story, and if there's anything that we can do to help out..."

"Right," Ranma implicitly agreed as they headed for Tofu's clinic, the sense of urgency growing within him that warned that their too-brief respite might be coming to an end a lot sooner than expected, but that the thing that worried him most was not any fear that the trouble might be directed towards him. It was the vague sense that Nabiki might herself be in some kind of danger that made him feel anxious. He was only just getting used to the idea of being around her, after all, and the idea that someone might try to hurt her, like Darth Purge, was enough to cause a tightening in his chest that further spurred him onward, very much wanting to know the rest of Gosunkugi's vision...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Psychotic's Hotline: shadowmane

What is the meaning of Gosunkugi's vision, and how does it relate to the impending fate of Ranma, Nabiki and Kasumi? What new menace looms in the background as they try to make a go of their odd three-way engagement, and are the Sith behind it once again...or is there something else out there that's nastier than Darth Purge? And what about Akane's group when they meet a certain golden pair at the ice rink? Be here next time for these and other important questions: "Menagerie a Toi," or, "La Cage Ice Follies!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  



	25. Chapter 25

Jedi Kasumi25

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas,  
with ideas and suggestions by Brandon Kelly &amp; Others)

Chapter Twenty-Five.

On Thin Ice

Episode Twenty-Five:

Having become acquainted with their new homeroom teacher,  
Miss Hinako, Ranma and his friends take time away from their recent troubles to relax and catch their bearings...

Unfortunately,  
Akane, Shampoo &amp; Ukyo have made a new encounter of their own while paying their respects to a nearby Ice Skating sporting arena...

Nabiki Confronts Ranma about the possibility of sharing their engagement with Kasumi in a possible three-  
way arrangement, much as the one her parents enjoy with Trieste, their Sensei...

And, meanwhile,  
a certain dark-haired gymnast is reflecting upon her recent encounters with an amorous Akane, even as Trieste herself is making inquiries about the conduct of the youngest of her students...

LIME-ALERT! CONTAINS SCENES OF A SEMI-GRAPHIC NATURE! BEWARE OF HENTAI REFERENCES TO SEX BETWEEN NON-CONSENSUAL PARTNERS UNDER THE AGE OF CONSENT IN AMERICA,  
BUT THIS IS SET IN PRE-MILLENIAL JAPAN, THE AGE OF CONSENT HAS NOT YET BEEN ADOPTED, SO THERE, CYBER-POLICE! BACK AT YOU!  
(YOU HAVE BEEN DULY WARNED)

Kodachi stared reflectively at the floor of the Saint Hebereke gym, her expression haunted and unsure, which was so unlike the normally domineering Black Rose that her fellow gymnasts turned worried expressions in her direction, wondering if their Team Captain had truly lost her edge since their defeat at the hands of a single member of the Furinkan gymnastics team. None at first, however, had the nerve to approach Kodachi, much preferring to leave her to her ruminations rather than risk the wrath their intimidating Captain Kodachi, the self-described Black Rose of Saint Hebereke's.

"What's the matter with Captain Kodachi?" her nervous teammates would ask, whispering behind her back while gazing with concern at Kodachi's forlorn profile, "She hasn't been herself for days, she doesn't even laugh like a maniac anymore, she just stands there giving orders every so often, like she's trying to remind us that she's there when she isn't completely there, if you know what I mean..."

In truth Kodachi was thinking about her fateful encounter with Akane from a few months back, how the Black Rose had made the colossal mistake of thinking she was just another mark to be taken by surprise and intimidated into surrendering her position on the Furinkan team. Up to that moment Kodachi only knew of Akane by reputation and her friendship with Tendo Nabiki, the older sister of the notorious Tendo Hentai, but Kodachi had discounted some of those rumors as improbable and had risked venturing into the other girl's room to stage one of her usual ambush attacks. She had not been intending actual harm to the other girl, after all, just some "harmless" roughing up to insure that a potentially tough competitor did not show Kodachi up before her school, family and friends, or at least not without fair warning. It was a matter of pride for her that she had managed to drive off tough opponents in the past, to throw them off their game or to get them to withdraw altogether, and there seemed no reason to think that this Akane would prove any great exception.

Worst mistake of her life. Akane had not only proven to be more formidable than expected, she had even turned the tables on Kodachi, knocking the Black Rose out and then stripping her naked. Kodachi had awaken to find herself tied to the bed in a face-up spread-eagle position with strips of her own leotard serving to hold her wrists and ankles in place. She had then looked up with fearful eyes at the girl whom she had intended to subdue and found Akane smiling at her lustfully, and to Kodachi's horror she had been holding an ice-cube in one hand and a feather in the other...

Kodachi closed her eyes and tried to suppress the memories of what happened next, but the sensations awakened within her on that encounter were too indescribable to be so easily forgotten. Having an ice-cube applied to bare skin was an experience unlike any other that she could remember, especially when the half-melted cube had made it's way to her vagina, at which point Akane had partially inserted in past Kodachi's labia, and then poked it all the way in with an index finger...

Kodachi shuddered at the memory, feeling the intensive waves of cold and electricity that had flowed up and down her spine in that most awe-inspiring manner...and then when Akane had used that feather to tickle her...Kodachi had lost it completely, howling in peals of laughter until the tears ran from her eyes, only to find herself muffled by the quick insertion of a pair of panties (clean ones) that Akane had stuffed into her mouth before going to work on her bare feet and giving Kodachi such exquisite torment that even now she squirmed at the memory, still feeling a phantom feather applied to other sensitive areas of her body.

Without consciously meaning to, Kodachi absently placed a hand to her bosom and placed her other hand over her loins, eyes closed as she re-visualized the train of events that had followed the application of that feather. Akane had merely been teasing her with foreplay, what happened next was truly indescribable as the dark haired girl had applied hands and lips to those areas of Kodachi's body now primed and hyper-sensitive thanks to the teasing of both ice cube and feather. Akane had expertly worked Kodachi over, giving the self-described Black Rose a royal taste of what it meant to be sexually molested AND TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE FULLY! Kodachi gasped as she remembered the insertion of something warm and stiff up into both her vagina and rectum, the caress of soft lips to her clitoris and snatch, and the feeling of a wet tongue exploring the inner lining to her labia lips, the caress of hands playing with Kodachi's breasts and the total loss of self-identity which followed as Kodachi had yielded fully to the experience and allowed herself to be swept away in a tide of indescribable sensations...

A faint groan escaped her as Kodachi remembered the sweet ordeal that she had suffered at Akane's hand, the overpowering sense of a loss of personal control and freedom to the will of another. It was, without a doubt, the most incredible experience of her young life and her first real sexual encounter, and she had loved every second of her humiliation, even enduring the strain of what had felt like Akane's whole land being inserted into her snatch, taking away her virginity and making Kodachi her love slave for the length of time that they were together. Even now she could not help feeling the urge to yield again to such a treatment, a sense that if she gave Akane the chance then she would become a permanent attachment to the younger Tendo sister's charms and no longer be capable of independent action. Such a thought terrified Kodachi far more than the mere act of being tied up and sexually ravished, the certain knowledge that she might come to like it just a little too much, and then goodbye to her pride and her freedom, to her sense of herself as an independent person.

For Kodachi there could be no worse fate imagined than to be that helpless and submissive. Akane's appetite for sex had been coarsely demonstrated to her in terms that had opened Kodachi's mind to the awareness of her own submissive nature. Though others might see her as a dominating figure, Kodachi was still very much a little girl who wanted more than anything to please her mother and father, to live up to their high standards as a gymnast of the first order. She had taken to hounding, intimidating and abusing other girls out of a sense of acute insecurity and a need not to be outshone by anyone...and yet, since her night of ravishment, Kodachi had not dared try the same thing with any other prospective opponent, dreading that she might wind up in another such encounter with someone who was a lot less accommodating than Akane had proved to be, someone who might actually consider KEEPING Kodachi for themselves as a pet. For Kodachi that alone was cause enough to be mindful and remain on her best behavior.

At least Akane had untied her and allowed her to go home the following morning, after loaning the humiliated Black Rose one of Akane's own dresses to further her humiliation. Kodachi remembered almost wanting to ask Akane if she would like to see her again, and the thought that she had actually gotten excited at the idea was terrifying enough for Kodachi to flee the room with her proverbial tail between her legs. To think that she might come to enjoy regular sessions of...that...with a girl who was, in so many ways, her social inferior made Kodachi blush with shame, and yet every time she saw Akane now the thought rushed back into her head that she might yield to the other girl's slightest suggestion...

Kodachi's cheeks flushed crimson with the thought of this. In truth a part of her wanted to yield to Akane, to say "yes" to anything the Tendo girl proposes doing together. She swallowed thickly when she remembered seeing Akane with those other two sluts-ah-ladies...the purple haired one with the large breasts and the mannish Kuonji...and to Kodachi's complete surprise and confoundment she had felt a rush of jealousy towards those other two girls, coupled in part by a curiosity to know if these, too, were into games of domination...

A ragged gasp escaped from Kodachi as she thought on the whole affair and dreaded something else beyond her powers of denial...that in a way she was afraid that Akane might not want to have her again since she quite obviously enjoyed the company of those other two girls...and Kodachi found herself wanting to be included into their circle. But no! No, that could never be! She was the Black Rose of Furinkan! She did not yield to such debased temptations, she rose and dominated others!

That was how she could prove to herself that she was not *that way,* not a submissive! It was the need to prove this to herself that caused Kodachi to turn hard on her own team-mates, to become even more of a Bitch around them than usual, only now to demand a level of obedience and compliance not previously known to the gymnastics teams of Saint Hebereke. In a way she had become a bit like Akane just to prove that she was NOTHING like her tormentor, and so she had started selecting the weaker and more easily intimidated girls of her team and demanding that they undergo special "coaching" sessions that were administered by Kodachi for the sake of discipline and an improvement in their performance.

It was not easy to arrange these sessions, but Kodachi had certain...connections through her father, and the Kuno money made it easy to buy silence. The girls whom Kodachi individually named would meet up with her in private and discover, at their tender ages, that there was a lot more to the use of their bodies than simple stretches and tumbles. A sawhorse, for example, could have OTHER uses besides vaulting, and by employing a crop or a paddle she could reduce an errant girl to tears and get her to agree that obedience was best when administered by Kodachi.

None of these girls ever talked outside those chambers, none of them had betrayed Kodachi's confidence, becoming her willing slaves and doing her bidding, even helping Kodachi recruit and seduce other members of their team for further "discipline sessions." There was always the risk that they might be caught up by the school administrators, of course, at which point Kodachi and her "harem" would be facing stern punishment from both the school and her parents, but so far they had been circumspect and extremely careful in their actions, and only a few murmured, whispered rumors gave any hint that Kodachi had gone from being a SUSPECTED Bondage Queen to a real one. In truth even her own family had no idea of the extent to which Kodachi had begun to flex her muscles for sexual games of domination and submission.

Not all the members of the team were privy to these goings on as yet, but Kodachi was fairly certain that the girls whom she had not yet submitted to her lashes were starting to get the idea that displeasing Kodachi could lead to something extremely...graphic. Indeed, Kodachi found a great thrill in being the "Queen Bitch" to her circle of supple minions, and yet still she dreaded being given the label of Lesbian Bondage Queen. Just because theirs was an all-  
girl school and their opportunities to find and date boys were extremely limited was no reason to believe that Kodachi was against having a man underneath her. Indeed, if asked, she would have claimed that she PREFERRED a man, even if she now appreciated the charms of a female body in her clutches.

In truth she had started circumspectly "checking around" to see what men were available who might catch her interest, and in doing so she had happened upon her old friend, Nabiki, who had somehow snagged for herself one of the handsomest boys whom Kodachi could ever remember having encountered. The sight of him sent intriguing *possibilities* circulating throughout her mind, and so she had decided to play the flirt and determine of the boy could be made to stray away from his iinazuke. This was not so much intended to hurt Nabiki (though Kodachi did blame her for NOT coming to her rescue in that encounter with Akane) as it was to affirm in Kodachi's own mind that she could have a healthy, perfectly NORMAL and HETEROSEXUAL relationship with a boy her own age and put aside her presently wanton ways, to go STRAIGHT (in more than one sense of the word) and no longer have to risk being exposed in the eyes of others, especially her peers and parents.

And yet, somehow, Akane always seemed to be hovering close nearby whenever Kodachi attempted to encounter this Saotome Ranma, and just looking at the sensuous brown eyes of the youngest Tendo sister was enough to put a total crimp in Kodachi's plans, to remind her with a jolt of what she had become because of Akane, and to cause her to flee in terror lest her secret be let out and Kodachi exposed as Akane's helpless conquest. Even now she could imagine what the scandal would be like if people knew just what had gone on between them during that singular encounter, and how much it had affected Kodachi, making her yearn for strange and unnatural sensations...

"Kuno-sama?" a familiar voice asked, startling Kodachi back to an awareness of the present.

"Uh...yes?" Kodachi asked with a roughened voice, turning to see Tamara staring at her with a somewhat troubled expression.

"Kuno-sama...Mistress?" Tamara asked timidly, "Is everything all right?"

Kodachi belatedly became aware that she had one hand resting beneath the fabric of her leotard, two fingers inserted up into her sex with her thumb and forefinger squeezing her clitoris, and her other hand had bared one breast to fondle herself and pinch her own nipple, and at once the Black Rose straightened out, removed her hands from their incriminating places and hastily pulled her leotard back over the exposed shoulder. Appearances were important, after all, and it would not do to let her minions believe that she was frigging herself off from a sense of heightened frustration.

"Ah...yes," Kodachi coughed a bit to clear her throat as she regarded her lieutenant, "Everything is just fine, Slave Tamara. Why do you ask?"

"Mistress," Tamara bowed her head as far as propriety would allow her and whispered, "If you wish to find comfort and satisfaction, this unworthy slave is...available...and ready to be punished for her insubordination."

Kodachi smiled in fond approval and said, "Maybe later...but for now...have you anything to report?"

"Yes, Mistress," Tamara said meekly, "As you suspected, the Akane girl is spending nearly all of her time with those new girls, Shampoo and Ukyo. Those two cohabitate in a nearby restaurant and share a physical relationship together, and both are favored by the Akane. It seems that all three of them are students of the Jedi Mind Ryu, like the Akane's older sisters..."

"Very good," Kodachi nodded with tacit approval, "And what you tell me about these...other two Jedi students?"

"Mistress," Tamara replied, "They each are very strong and capable fighters, comparable to the Akane in abilities, though until recently the one named Ukyo was said to have been a member of a rival school called the Sith. The purple-  
haired one is an immigrant from China, said to be an actual Amazon and a student of Chinese Wushu. Kuonji-san is also very strong, but she was bested in battle by your brother..."

"Yes, I have heard about that match," Kodachi replied as she stared off into the air and seemed unusually thoughtful, "So, all three are Jedi-trained and enjoy a physical relationship together. Tell me, how serious does it appear to be for Akane?"

"The Akane...she appears to be very serious about Ukyo," Tamara replied, "But I am not as certain if Kuonji regards her with the same level of feelings."

"Interesting," Kodachi said aloud, though she scowled a bit as she heard this, murmuring aloud, "It figures that unfaithful tramp would go chasing down a girl so boyish that she makes most men look feeble. I should have expected no less out of the likes of her, the witch..."

"Mistress?" Tamara asked in mild confusion.

"Never mind," Kodachi said a little too abruptly, "Have you anything else to report?"

"Only that the restaurant where this Shampoo and Kuonji are staying is owned by an elderly woman said to be Shampoo's great-grandparent and legal guardian," Tamara said before hesitating, then asking, "Have I...done good, Mistress? Do I deserve punishment...?"

Kodachi smiled, reached out to the other girl and caressed the other girl's cheek, who shuddered a bit with sweet anticipation, "Yes...you have been very naughty, haven't you? You should be punished..." she then gripped the other girl's chin between her fingers and compelled Tamara to look up at her with a more fearful expression as Kodachi purred, "But only when I say you shall be punished, is that understood?"

"Y-Yes, Mistress..." Tamara shuddered, swallowing thickly.

"Good," Kodachi let her go and said, "We will discuss the time and place for your punishment later. For now...return to your studies and allow me to think upon what you have revealed to me."

"Yes Mistress," the other girl bowed more submissively this time, not even caring at the looks that this brought her from her fellow gymnastic students.

Kodachi folded her arms around herself and hugged her own body slightly as she tried to sort her mind and emotions back into some sort of coherent order. She had to find a way of getting back at Akane, of evening the score between them, of demonstrating to the youngest Tendo girl the folly of treating a Kuno as if she were someone else's mere plaything. The longer this went on the more difficult it was for Kodachi to look herself in a mirror with anything like her usual hauteur. She needed some leverage to reverse the tables on the other girl, to put Akane firmly on the defensive, to have her come crawling on her hands and knees begging her forgiveness from Kodachi. Only then could the Black Rose feel good about herself and stop shying away like a timid school girl at the mere mention of Akane...and perhaps these new girls, Shampoo and Ukyo, might provide Kodachi with a way of obtaining her vindication...

If only she could shake this paranoid feeling that someone else was watching her, maybe then she could concentrate on devising a strategy instead of constantly glancing over one shoulder in nervous anticipation...

And if only she had remembered the line, "Even Paranoids have Enemies" she might have paid more attention to her feelings instead of stand mentally unguarded while another probed her thoughts in search of evidence that would confirm his own dark suspicions...

"So," Taro murmured at the side of Dark Purge, "She's the one you're after, huh? Nice looking frail, if you're into lace and leather."

"Don't scoff so quickly," Purge replied, smiling a reptilian smile that would have terrified a Velociraptor, "I sense great potential in this one, just as I do in the presence of her brother. She might make an excellent pawn for our side and...best of all...she could be much easier to recruit than Tatewaki."

"Huh?" Taro scowled, "I don't quite follow you, Boss."

"She is looking for a mate," Purge explained patiently, "A male of your species who could appeal to the need within her of being dominated. You might consider yourself a prime candidate for such a task, seeing as you are, as you humans say, quite the Lady-killer."

Taro thought it over then smiled, "Sure, why not? She's cute enough, and I'll bet she won't even mind if I'm the one who breaks her to the halter."

"That is the spirit, Student," Purge mused, "Now...here is what I propose you do...and I'll leave the finer details to your discretion..."

"Can you believe the nerve of those two jerks?" Akane fumed, "I can't believe they tried to do that!"

"What?" Shampoo asked sly, "Try kissing you, Akane-chan?"

"After stealing Ucchan's spatula and making us chase her all over that restaurant, yes!" Akane growled, "The never of that Mikado guy...who does he think he is?"

"The Kami's gift to women, most probably," Ukyo sniffed, "But at least he got my spatula back for me, not that he even noticed that I'm also a woman."

"He too blind see that," Shampoo said with a leer, "Too full of self see what excellent prize is Ucchan. He hit on Shampoo too, you know, but no see Spatula Girl is just as cute target."

Ukyo reflected that leering seemed as natural as breathing to the Amazon, and that if Shampoo ever stopped doing that then she should check the other girl for a pulse. Oddly enough, Ukyo was finding it harder and harder to resent Shampoo's constant flirting, perhaps because she was getting to feel more comfortable around the purple-haired wonder and hardly even minded any more the liberties that she often took with Ukyo's body.

Akane, on the other hand, still tended to make Ukyo feel more than a little nervous. Perhaps it was because the relationship that she had with Shampoo was more informal, less demanding, more casual and even friendly without the heavy weight of a more "meaningful" relationship to bog things down in the complications of romantic feeling, that Ukyo could feel more at ease in her presence. Akane, by contrast, was very serious and intent on making her relationship with Ukyo quite "meaningful," and as such there were more complicating factors that went beyond any mere sexual dynamics. Akane was not just on the make for an easy lay (she already had that with Shampoo), she wanted to get Ukyo to reciprocate, to feel for her what Akane professed to feel for Ukyo, even while Akane did tend to get quite easily...distracted.

Which reminded Ukyo of a question that had been bothering her all the way from the ice rink, "Say...Akane? Why didn't you hit on that Azusa character when you had the chance? Wasn't she your type or something?"

"What, are you kidding?" Akane snorted, "The little ditz has a head so full of fluff it might as well be stuffed with cotton candy. Oh sure she's kawaii, but we're talking serious high maintenance here, like years of therapy in the making, and who in their right mind wants anything to do with that?"

"So," Ukyo mused, "You've finally admitted that there's a girl you won't anything to do with, huh?"

"Don't act so surprised, Ucchan," Akane smiled, "I told you I was done with all that. From now on it's strictly you and me and everyone else can take a hike, including that womanizing pervert, Mikado."

Ukyo arched both eyebrows as she stared blandly at her companion, silently marveling that Akane could call anyone a "womanizing pervert" with a straight face and actually mean it.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo softly murmured as she shook her long mane of lavender hair, "What we do about challenge Ucchan make with pervert-boy? Shampoo not know how to skate, and Ucchan say she no have practice..."

"Hey, I can skate just fine, and I'll be happy to teach the both of you everything you need to know," Akane assured them, giving Ukyo a sly look as she added, "It'll be my pleasure, especially after the way you stood up for me back there."

Ukyo nearly stumbled over her own two feet on hearing that, recovering with a rather embarrassed, "That's not why I challenged him...I just can't stand guys like that who think they're so smug and perfect, that's all. It's got nothing to do with what he tried to do back there with you guys..."

"Or maybe you just sore he no try kiss you," Shampoo coyly noted.

"I do not!" Ukyo fumed, "Hey, I've been around jerks like that for years, and I can only stomach so much from them before I feel obligated to put them in their place. If he'd just left it at being nice and returning my spatula to me there wouldn't have been any problem..."

"Yeah, but then he asked if you wouldn't mind him kissing me while you were watching," Akane duly noted, "Said I was his nine-hundred-and-ninety-ninth girl, or something like that, like he was doing me some kind of great big honor..."

"You just jealous he kiss way more girl than you," Shampoo playfully teased, "Tell same thing to Shampoo, only that make her one thousandth."

"Hey, he didn't nail either of us thanks to Ucchan," Akane turned back to her intended amorata, "Our hero."

Ukyo all but sputtered a denial of the fact, but the memory of the smug way in which Senzenen Mikado had approached the girls with the stated intent of adding them to his "collection" had rubbed her the wrong way. She might tell herself that it was no business of hers whether Akane or Shampoo kissed a Frog or a Prince, but the casual way in which he stated his intentions left her teeth grinding and her fingers twitching to grip her baker's peel in both hands for a little "Hentai Justice."

Besides which he had totally ignored her, so-Shampoo's assertions notwithstanding-Ukyo was feeling more than a bit miffed when she sent that pickle soaring into the handsome face of Mikado Jerk-Face...

"Well, the point is now that we do have a challenge match to get ready for," Akane noted as the trio continued along in silence, "So I guess we'll be hitting the rink for the next week for a crash course in martial arts figure skating..."

Shampoo looked up in dismay as they approached the Tendo estate and said, "Aiyaa...why is Elder Trieste looking at us that was, Akane?"

"Huh?" Akane looked straight ahead and found that her mother and Trieste were both standing at the front gates of her family compound, and by the expressions both wore there was something serious that they had in mind, especially as their eyes were focused upon Akane.

"Uh oh," Ukyo murmured as she picked up on the same vibes, "Busted...I think you must've done something to get yourself in the doghouse with those two, Sugar."

"Actually," Trieste spoke up as they approached within earshot, "There are a lot of things that your mother and I wish to discuss with you, Akane.

"Would you three terribly much mind joining us in the dojo?" Kimiko asked them, including Shampoo and Ukyo with a not, "Since the men are away, we'll be assured of privacy while we have a chat about some...rather private family matters."

Akane swallowed thickly and had a sense of foreboding about the impending matter, but she could hardly decline an invitation from both her mother and Sensei, so she squared her shoulders resolutely and attempted to put a good face on the matter by saying, "Uh...Hai...no problem..."

Gosunkugi looked nervously from Ranma to Nabiki as they waited inside Doctor Tofu's clinic. An awkward silence had hung over them for much of the time that they were together, but at last Ranma broke it by saying, "So...you get visions like that very often?"

"Ah...well..." Gosunkugi replied, "Truth to tell...I can't really control when and where they happen, or even what they're going to be about. I can sometimes make predictions, more like lucky guesses based on things I can intuitively sense, but..."

"But you have no control over your ability because you've had no formal training," Nabiki deduced, "So...what did those guys want with you? They seemed pretty upset about something."

"Hey, the last time I saw this guy was when Kasumi and me found him being picked on by those creeps," Ranma answered, "But before we could do anything Miss Hinako showed up and put 'em all into a coma."

"Oh yeah," Gosunkugi said faintly, "You were there with another girl...I remember. Well...the truth of it is...they wanted me on account of my ability. Their boss is...um...was a Yakuza by the name of Hijime, and he thought it useful to have a psychic he could control on his payroll, and he forced me to come to work with him after threatening my parents. I escaped, they came after me and were about to beat me up, which is when you found me, and if not for Hinako-sama...well...she convinced my former boss to let me go...after she drained him of all of his fighting energy...you saw how she does that, right?"

"I've heard of it," Nabiki replied, "And I did watch her do it to grandpa Happy."

"So...what did she do to the guy?" Ranma asked nervously, "Is he...?"

"As far as I know he's all right and made a full recovery," Gosunkugi answered, "Hinako-sama doesn't kill when she drains, at least...not that I know of...but when Hijime-san was flat like a leaf, along with the rest of his bodyguards, he got picked up by the local authorities after Hinako called them. I...I owe her my life and for my family...and I owe you thanks too, by the way..."

"Hey, don't mention it," Ranma said dismissively, "Beating up on creeps like that's almost a pleasure."

"If Oneechan or Sensei were here I'm sure they'd tell you that taking pleasure over the suffering of another is wrong, Ranma-kun," Nabiki mildly chided, "But...I tend to agree with you. Guys like that are just asking for trouble. So...Gosunkugi was it? What do you plan on doing with the rest of your life now that you're free from the Yakuza?"

"Um...to tell the truth, Tendo-san...I don't really know," Gosunkugi replied in a quiet tone of voice, "I have my abilities, and all my other parts are working, but...I was thinking it might be nice to just settle in to being a normal student at Furinkan for a change..."

"Normal," Ranma sniffed, "Be sure you let me know what that's like if you ever make it, Buddy."

"Er...right," Gosunkugi replied with a nervous expression.

"Hey, tell you what," Ranma said, "If anybody like that ever gives you a hard time again, then you just send 'em to me and I'll take care of 'em for you. I hate guys who pick fights for no reason almost more than anything, and since you ain't exactly a martial artist..."

Gosunkugi looked uncertainly at Ranma, "You'd...do that for me? But...I can't pay you anything..."

"Pay me?" Ranma reacted as if insulted, "Where you been living, guy? Nobody has to pay me to beat up on bullies..."

"Ah...we'll talk about that another time," Nabiki said with a knowing lilt to her voice, "In the meantime...you sound like you could use a few pointers in how to use your abilities to good effect, Gosunkugi-san. Tell you what...why don't we work together on that sometime...I could always use the help of someone else who has the talent..."

Gosunkugi turned a startled look towards Nabiki, "What?"

"I'm offering you a part-time job, if you're interested," Nabiki explained, "I can teach you ways of using your talents that will enhance their effectiveness threefold, and in turn you could help me out as a consultant on special cases that I sometimes get handed, finding lost things, solving mysteries, mediating disputes and telling people how to avoid potential problems. If you ask anyone around Furinkan you'll hear that Tendo Nabiki is the one to come to if you need advice, and I don't even charge for it, though...I do accept voluntary donations."

Gosunkugi blinked his eyes at this then said, "Are you that good?"

"Gos-kun," Nabiki smiled, "The only ones better than me are my Sensei and my older sister. Since it's a shame to let a major talent like yours go to waste I only think it would be proper to give you the benefit of some of my own training. Of course you'd have to promise to only use what I teach for the benefit of others..." she winked knowingly as she said this.

Gosunkugi just blinked his eyes again, looking even more like someone who had crawled out of bed a little too early...for a month or two at least. In his experience no one had ever been this nice to him without a reason, and yet his senses alerted him to the fact that they were being entirely sincere in their offering to help him. His impression of Ranma was of someone confident in his own abilities yet not sophisticated enough to be capable of dissembling effectively...in other words he was not smart enough to be so convincingly dishonest. What you saw was pretty much what you got around him, and yet his robust vitality confirmed that he could be a dangerous party when crossed, making him a powerful ally and one who could back up his word with action.

With Nabiki he had a very different sense of someone at once extremely clever and yet sincere in a different sort of way. She seemed capable and dangerous in a subtler, less evident sort of way, and suddenly he had a sense that Hijime-san had nothing on her when it came to overall deviousness, meaning that she was capable of things that would be beyond the wits of her more athletic companion.

And yet he had a nice feeling regarding her, as though he could put his trust in her abilities and not feel that trust was misplaced. She was not cold and unfeeling like the ruthless hoodlums with whom he was all too familiar, and there was a point beyond which she would not trespass. She might seem guarded in her emotions but there was a warm heart underneath that crooked charm, and a strong emotional bond that had been formed with Ranma just below the surface.

He was just beginning to probe there with his feelings when the Doctor came into the room and said, "Well now, sorry to keep you waiting. Nabiki...your friend here is my patient?"

"He's been through a lot, Doc," Nabiki explained, "We think he's been abused by someone who was threatening his family, and some hoods gave him a rough going over. We wanted you to check him out to see if he was all right or had internal injuries that I'm not skilled enough to detect."

"I'll see what I can do then," the doctor nodded, turning to Gosunkugi, "Better take some of those clothes off so I can examine you, young fellow. Nabiki and Ranma, you can wait outside while I see about your friend."

Sure thing, Tofu-Sensei," Ranma turned to his lady companion, "C'mon, Nabiki."

"Right behind you, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smiled, once more hiding the affection that Gosunkugi could feel radiating out from her center, which more than affirmed his suspicions regarding these two.

Gosunkugi did as the doctor directed and removed his school uniform, carefully folding it to one side so that he was standing in his undershirt and boxer shorts while the man named Tofu began to conduct what seemed like a cursory examination. After being poked and prodded a few times, however, Tofu then began to move his hands over Gosunkugi without touching him. The young man could feel the warmth of the older man's palms hovering over different areas of his body, and he began to wonder just what Tofu was up to when he heard the doctor say, "Well now...you have been having a rough time of it, young man. There are a lot of recently healed injuries, and some internal bruises, and a few broken bones that were allowed to heal back improperly. Who could have done all of this to you, may I ask?"

"Um..." Gosunkugi hesitated to answer that, instead asking the thought that came foremost to mind, "How do you know all this?"

"I've had very good training," Tofu replied, "Nabiki mentioned that some hoodlums did this to you. Was it a street gang...or the Yakuza?"

"Hah?" Gosunkugi was even more surprised by the question, knowing that to answer would put both him and the doctor in serious danger.

"Yes, it was the Yakuza, am I right?" Tofu seemed only to be asking a perfunctory question to which he already knew the answer, "I thought so. The injuries are consistent with their handiwork. What did they want with you anyway that they would treat you this poorly? Were you a kidnap victim, a rich family hostage, or someone who owed them a favor?"

"Uh...Doc?" Gosunkugi winced, "How do you know all this? I swear..."

"Oh, never you mind about me, young man," Tofu patted Gosunkugi on the shoulder, "I've had my run-ins with that lot before and I can take care of myself. You, on the other hand, look like you could use a protector. No wonder Nabiki was so interested in you just now, she always has had a soft spot for strays, but don't tell her I said that. She'd deny it if you asked her."

"Um...is she really that nice?" Gosunkugi asked.

"She's actually a very sweet girl, if you can get used to her pride and independence," Tofu explained, "She's a student of the same Sensei who taught me about Psychic healing, and you couldn't be in better hands than to have the favor of the Tendo family. Ranma's also a pretty reliable guy if you want someone who's handy with his fists on your side. I think that he and Nabiki are engaged to be married...but I might have them confused with Nabiki's older sister...uh...someone who's very, very special."

Gosunkugi wondered why the doctor's voice quavered slightly at the mention of an "older sister," but he was more surprised to hear that Ranma was engaged to Tendo Nabiki. (Some guys have all the luck,) he thought to himself with a twinge of envy and resentment, but then he felt a stab of guilt over having such a reaction, knowing that he was in Ranma's debt and that the other boy had been nice enough to offer to help Gosunkugi. Somehow he doubted that Ranma was even capable of harboring ulterior motives, which meant that he was a potential friend and a powerful ally. Too bad for Gosunkugi that he had clearly set his eye on the short-haired Tendo girl, but he had no trouble understanding why a girl like that would appreciate a guy that handsome and athletic.

Gosunkugi was just beginning to wonder if Nabiki had any other sisters who might take an interest in a charity case when he heard Nabiki gasp, "K-Kasumi? What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you, Imotochan," said a melodious voice that might have belonged to an angel, and as Gosunkugi was just starting to sort that out he heard the doctor gasp aloud, "K-K-K-Kasumi...?"

"You came looking for us?" Nabiki glanced nervously past the door leading to Tofu's office, "Um...Kasumi...this is not a good time..."

"Oh?" Kasumi said, following her sister's line of vision, "You mean...Tofu-  
Sensei is in there?"

"Uh...yeah," Ranma said, sharing Nabiki's general nervousness, "He's looking after this guy we brought in, and if the Doc finds out you're here..."

"YEEEOOWWCH!" came a plaintive cry that sounded suspiciously like Gosunkugi.

Nabiki took a moment before she said the obvious, "I think he knows already..."

Kasumi sighed, "I had better go in there and distract him before he does your friend irreparable damage."

"Good idea," Nabiki noted, "You do that, Ranma-kun and me'll get Gosunkugi to safety..."

"Right," Ranma agreed, wincing slightly as he imagined the ordeal that would accompany the sounds their new classmate was making, and wondering just why it was that someone as nice and seemingly as stable as Doctor Tofu went all the pieces over someone as nice and compassionate as Kasumi...

...Or was that too self-explanatory a question? He wondered about that even as he followed his two iinazuke as they rushed to Gosunkugi's rescue...

"It's not that I want to intrude into your personal affairs, Akane-chan," her mother began, "But of late...we have become somewhat concerned about your recent activities..."

"Especially in regards to your use of the Force," Trieste noted somberly, "And to be quite frank, some of aspects of your conduct are extremely troubling of late. Perhaps you would care to explain yourself to us and make us understand why she should not feel some concern in this regard. I know that you can enlighten us about your motives and actions and put to rest any worries that you might have misused my teachings."

"Sensei," Akane said in surprise, "How can you even think that about me? You know that I'd never abuse my talents or do anything that would bring dishonor to our school or to the Jedi. I know that I...ah...may not be the most...um...innocent party when it comes to my personal behavior, but a little harmless fun with my friends hardly makes me out to be a Sith lord..."

"Somehow I feel slighted by that remark," Ukyo scowled where she and Shampoo sat on the sidelines, "Like any Sith I know would behave like her on an off day..."

"I'm not accusing you of being in league with the Dark side, Akane-chan," Trieste said formally from where she and Kimiko sat side-by-side at one end of the dojo, confronting Akane, who sat in the center of the room facing the two family enders with trepidation, (only grateful that her father was not with them else her nervousness would have an extra complication), "But once you begin using the Force in an incorrect manner it can be a very slippery slope down which the Dark side looms...and the fastest way of getting there is to go down the path of misplaced good intentions."

"That is why we have to know if your actions are entirely well thought out and well placed, Child," Kimiko informed her daughter, "We care about you...you're my daughter and a very promising student of the Force, and Trieste-san would never have called for this inquiry unless we both wanted what was best for you. We have largely tried to stay out of your way, to let you live your own life your way, but lately..."

"Mom," Akane said plaintively, "Don't you trust me? Don't you believe enough in me to trust that I know what's best for myself? I've never gone out of my way to hurt anyone..."

"Except for young Ranma," Trieste pointed out, "Around him your actions have been most uncontrolled and violent."

"Ah...well..." Akane winced, "He...kind of rubs me the wrong way..."

"And then there is your relationship with Kuonji-san," Trieste nodded to the sidelines, "I believe that you and Shampoo have been pursuing an active relationship with her, often against Kuonji-san's stated wishes to the contrary..."

"Well, thank you somebody for noticing," Ukyo sniffed.

"Okay, maybe Shampoo and I...kind of pushed it a little with Ucchan," Akane conceded, "But I wasn't trying to force anything with her..." she winced when she heard Ukyo's derisive snort, turning a cross look the other girl's direction before adding, "Well...we did sort of take advantage of the way things worked out, but that's not the same thing as...ah...well..."

"As tying her down to your bed and ravishing her with a feather?" Trieste arched an eyebrow, "I heard about that from your sister."

"What?" Akane was shocked, "Nabiki...ah..."

"Squealed like piglet?" Shampoo suggested for her.

"I meant...she was listening in on that?" Akane glanced at her nominal "partner in crime," reflecting on how bad her situation looked if Shampoo were the only one who was really on her side, "I thought I was being quiet..."

"Nabiki did not supply me with the details," Trieste informed her student, "But I would be a very poor Jedi Master if I could not pierce behind the veil to see what others could not see. Also, your mother was listening to the wall with a glass to her ear."

"What?" Akane blinked, "Mom?"

"Well, where did you think your sister inherited it from?" Kimiko gave a smile that was disturbingly like that of her middle daughter, "When I heard the first sounds of commotion I was naturally very concerned, but then those sounds became suspiciously muffled, so...can you blame a mother for being curious? Especially upon learning that her daughter is so...imaginative and creative. By the way, did you borrow some books out of my room to get your ideas on that ice cube trick?"

"Mom!" Akane reacted.

"Okay," Ukyo said with rounded eyes, "I am now officially freaked."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured in soft agreement.

"Tying Kuno Kodachi down and molesting her," Trieste sighed just as softly, "All right, I will concede that she initiated affairs by attempting to ambush you, and I will not excuse her propensity for using violence to unfairly win her matches. Her mother will have to be informed about her daughter's misbehavior, and I just know how her father will react to the news of Kodachi's misbehavior, to say nothing of her brother..."

"Tatewaki?" Akane winced, "Does he have to know about this?"

"Afraid that he might retaliate?" Kimiko asked.

"More like concerned that he might seek to even the score through other means," Trieste revealed, "Such as making it known around your school that you took liberties with Kodachi far in excess of what was warranted."

"Ah...okay," Akane gulped, "Maybe I did kind of...ah...let myself get carried away when I had Kodachi at my mercy...but I really didn't see anything wrong with what we were doing at the time, and she did seem to be enjoying it..."

"Midway and near the end, perhaps," Trieste gently declared, "But most definitely not at the beginning."

"That wasn't what it sounded like from my end of the glass," Kimiko continued to smile in a lascivious manner.

"Okay...so it's genetic," Ukyo quietly murmured, wondering if it were too late for her to sneak out the side exit of the dojo.

Akane looked down at the floor and said, "Sensei...I know it must look bad for me, doing that with Kodachi...but I never really thought..."

"That I can believe," Trieste sighed again, "Akane-chan...I have always taught you to trust in your feelings and to act with pure intentions from the heart, but if you act without thinking all of the time you are bound to trespass upon the rights and preferences of others. Understand, I have no problem with you favoring other girls in a sexual manner, and I certainly am not against you pursuing a steady relationship with Kuonji-san, but the things which you have done in the past are bound to have consequences in the present in one manner or another. This cannot continue as matters stand now, not when you are anything but in control over your own actions, and with your abilities and strengths..."

"Sensei!" Akane protested.

"Let Trieste-chan finish, Akane-chan," Kimiko gently reprimanded, "She is as much on your side as I am here, and we're not doing this to be mean to you or to force you to make unpleasant choices. We are only trying to understand where you stand right now in relation to both your training and your conduct. It is not that we are accusing you of walking on the Dark side..."

"But with the danger inherent of treading too close to the edge of the Dark side, it is right that we should be concerned," Trieste concluded.

"Elder," Shampoo spoke up, "Is it wrong to make nice-nice with other girl who no as certain of own...sexuality? Is it not so that many womans have only slight understanding of own feelings?"

"And that Amazons are trained from birth to be in touch with their own feelings...as long as they are compatible with your warrior code?" Trieste noted, "I can understand if you have taken pleasure in sharing joy with other members of your village, Shampoo...but I also am given to understand that your interest was made more urgent by the pressure applied to you by Mousse? That you sought to discourage him by declaring that you were only interested in other women?"

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo replied in dismay, which for her was as much as a confession.

Ukyo looked at her, "You mean...Mousse is the one who turned you into such a raging girls-only nympho?" she paused before blinking, then adding, "Well...okay, I can see how that might happen..."

"Is...was...because of this one's Big Sister," Shampoo replied, "She show Shampoo other way to behave with warriors...make nice, no war, and Shampoo like this better. Mousse...only convince this one that she better off with girls. Would sooner make nice with little brother..."

"Better not," Kimiko smiled, "My daughters have enough competition as it is."

"Akane-chan," Trieste said soberly, "I do not hold you responsible for any mistakes you might have made during your absence. The fault lies with me for being inattentive to your needs while I have been off training your sister for the past several years. If I had been able to bring you with us, to share my teachings with you in a constructive manner..."

"Hey, it's all right, Sensei," Akane reassured her teacher, "I've had my family to look after me, and I've trained hard in what you showed me. I...I know I'm not as strong with the Force as Kasumi, and that she was a better choice than me to be your apprentice..."

"Oh, I have always known that you are very strong with the Force, Akane-chan," Trieste informed her, "But it was never strength that you were lacking...it was and is self-control that you need, and since you are just skilled enough in the Jedi arts to be a danger to yourself and others should you abuse my teachings..."

"But I'd never...!" Akane insisted.

"It is your ability to control yourself that we must work upon," Trieste continued, ignoring the interruption, "Anything less would be a dereliction of my obligations as your teacher, and since I am responsible for making you into what you are as a Force Master, so too must I now guide your actions to insure that you do not turn to the Dark side and waste your potential altogether."

Akane glanced down again with a conflicted expression, but she managed to assume enough dignity to say, "Sensei...I know that you mean well for me, but I don't really believe that I am straying from the path, no matter what you may think about my conduct. I know the Code forbids you having more than one Apprentice at a time, and that you've...somehow gotten the idea that Ranma could be a better candidate than me, but..."

"Is that why you resent him so much?" Trieste asked, "Because you believe that I chose Ranma over you as a student?"

"Well...didn't you?" Akane asked rather bluntly, "You just said that I have trouble controlling my impulses..."

"Yes," Trieste replied, "And Ranma has an even harder time controlling his, but-  
-unlike you-he has had some training in restraining his temper. His father, fool that he is, built up a tolerance to hardship and adversity in his son which you have yet to comprehend, and if you knew more about the sort of hard life he has led you would be less inclined to judge him harshly. In truth, Saotome Ranma may be too far gone into the way that his path has shamed him to be and will never make a proper Jedi, but I still see such potential within him..." she sighed, "Or perhaps I am being arrogant. Perhaps I am repeating the folly of Qui Gon Jin, a Jedi Master I once knew and respected. He, too, believed that he could shape the destiny of a young man whom fate had blessed with an unusual acuity with the Force, and by his arrogance brought into our midst a young warrior who would one day grow up to be our greatest betrayer."

"How's that again?" Ukyo blinked, "I don't think I've heard this story before, Sug-ah...I mean, Lady."

"The fall of the Jedi?" Trieste turned to regard the former Sith, "I'm surprised your Master never enlightened you on that story, seeing how he profited directly from what happened."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said, "Is this story this one hear from Big Sister? One where boy raised Jedi turn to Dark side and become enemy?"

"His name was Anakin Skywalker," Trieste revealed, "And he was the most promising student, a powerful apprentice of the Jedi who trained under a young master named Obi Wan Kenobe. Alas, by a train of circumstances far too tragic to relate in one telling, he fell prey to a Sith lord named Darth Sidious, Purge's Master. Sidious, it was revealed-and far too late for us to prevent his rise to power-was a man named Galoran, a Chancellor from the planet Nabu, who rose to become the President of the Galactic Republic's ruling High Council. Once invested with executive powers he slowly build up his control over affairs like a spider weaving a web to trap us all up in his monstrous grasp. Once he had maneuvered everything into place he revealed his true nature by declaring himself Emperor and usurping the Republic. That was the beginning of our end, for once Sidious had the reins of power he marked the Jedi for extermination."

"But how could Sith Lord destroy Jedi?" Shampoo asked.

"Yeah," Ukyo agreed, "And how come you never sniffed this guy out if he was right in your midst all along?"

"Questions that I ask myself all of the time," Trieste said sadly, "I only know that I am the last remaining member of the Jedi Council yet alive...though I suspect one or two might have also fled into exile. Of course, that was a long, long time ago and in a galaxy far removed from this, and when I traveled here it was through a worm hole that appears to have stretched through time as well as distance, which is why I can never go back, and neither can Purge for that matter. Still the lesson remains, that even the most promising student can fall prey to adverse conditions unless guided by one who can prevent their sliding down the path to the Dark side. Obi Wan failed to halt Anakin's succumbing to his own Dark side, but I will not repeat his mistake by underestimating the danger of a student going rogue, and that is why I will be taking a personal interest in your further development, to decide for myself if you are a worthy student of the Jedi and can be taught with safety the things that I have yet to teach you. If I determine that this is NOT the case, however..."

"Yeah?" Akane asked faintly, her senses warning her that she was not going to like hearing this part.

"We will decide what is to be done," Trieste replied, "Your mother and I will determine the appropriate course of actions, but you will be denied the use of your Jedi powers. There are methods of which I know that can be used to block the flow of energies through the brain that govern Force manipulation. Be mindful that I never have to use these techniques upon you for I would be most reluctant to even consider such a drastic measure. It would be like cutting off my own arm, and I would never take such a step if I believed that you could be turned away from certain disaster, that the fate of Anakin will never be your burden."

"Do you understand what this means, Akane-chan?" Kimiko asked, "This is why we did not want your father to be included in this discussion. Soun-chan would never truly understand the necessity of even considering such a matter...Akane-  
chan? Daughter?"

Akane did not answer her, staring wide-eyed at her elders with a shocked and horrified expression.

"Say what?" Ukyo asked with a disquieted expression.

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo sounded no less appalled at the suggestion.

"I am not saying that I will do this," Trieste assured them, "But I would sooner render you head-blind than lose you to the Dark-side, Akane-chan. You have no idea what it truly means to be the slave of hate and anger. The wild temper that you have displayed over the past few days is as nothing to the hatred of all life that is at the heart of a true Sith. Even Kuonji-san has never tasted the true depths of such evil, only flirting along the edges, which is why she was so easily turned away from Purge's teachings."

"Easy?" Ukyo blinked, "You call what I went through easy?"

"But...little sister is no lost cause, Elder," Shampoo protested, "Shampoo has felt her heart and this one knows her path is one of good, not Dark side..."

"With all due respect, Shampoo-san," Kimiko replied, "But you are not the most objective witness who can testify on behalf of my daughter."

"You do understand what I am saying, Akane-chan?" Trieste asked softly, still sensing no reaction from her youngest student, "When I started to teach you the Force it was to help you to learn to channel your potential into constructive ends. If I decide that your path is the correct one then I will show you more than you presently could imagine. In the meantime, Kasumi will assume teaching duties for Ranma and her sister while I supervise from a distance, but-for all intents and purposes-you are now my new apprentice. Do you understand what this means, Akane-chan? Akane-chan?"

Her newly declared padawan did not answer for the simple fact that Akane had fainted...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Padawan Critiques: shadowmane

Can Akane convince Trieste that she's still walking the path of the angels, and will she have time on the sly to train with Ukyo and Shampoo for their big Martial-Art Ice-Skating competition? Will Ranma and Nabiki be able to save Gosunkugi from a crazed Tofu, and will Kodachi get revenge upon the girl who cause her presently tormented state? And will Kasumi stop saying "Oh my!" to all of these developments? Tune in next time and see when the gang goes further into exploring the question, "Who and What are the Jedi?" in: "Forcing the Issue," or, "Who Are You Calling A Sithy?" Be there...

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  



	26. Chapter 26

Jedi Kasumi26

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas,  
with ideas and inspiration provided by friends like Brandon Kelley and others.)

Episode Twenty-Six:

Wrath of the Conned

Having given Akane a stern lecture about her conduct from her Mother and her Sensei, the youngest Tendo sister has been offered advanced training in the Jedi arts, provided she can prove to Trieste that she is not moving towards the Dark side...

Akane, chastened by this warning, is nonetheless attempting to initiate a steady relationship with the former Sith apprentice,  
Ukyo Kuonji. Unfortunately for her,  
Ukyo is leery about deepening her ties to Akane, whom she regards as a hopeless rake incapable of long-term commitments...

Meanwhile,  
Nabiki, Kasumi &amp; Ranma have made a new friend in the person of one Hikaru Gosunkugi, a boy with hidden talents that may prove useful to the Jedi, provided he can recover from a recent bout with a Kasumi-deranged Tofu Sensei...

"Man, does it hurt?" Ranma asked as they walked back from the clinic.

"A little," Gosunkugi admitted, "Takes a bit of getting used to seeing the world at this angle..."

"I am so very sorry, Hikaru-kun," Kasumi apologized for the tenth time in as many minutes, "I had no idea that you were visiting Tofu-Sensei and would be present when he heard my voice. My only concern was in seeking out my sister and Ranma-kun..."

"It's all right...kind of," Gosunkugi replied, his head tilted sideways at an acute angle, "I don't blame you, Tendo-san...but...what is the deal with that doctor anyway? How can just hearing your voice make him lose all control like that and...well..."

"Start behaving like a loon?" Nabiki finished for the afflicted boy, "The Force only knows, but for many years now he's had this strange fascination for my sister."

"Yes," Kasumi sighed, "I really don't understand it myself, but ever since I turned fourteen...well...Tofu-Sensei has tended to...notice me in a very odd manner..."

"You mean he's in love with you?" Gosunkugi asked, then remembered his manners enough to say, "Ah, not that it's any of my business..."

"Huh, I'd say he made it your business," Ranma noted, feeling the need to say something as he winced every time that he glanced at Gosunkugi, "Remind me never to visit the doc when you're around, Kasumi."

"Yes," Kasumi sighed again, "I'm not sure that I would call it love...but Tofu-  
Sensei...um...well...he has this..."

"Crush?" Nabiki offered helpfully.

"Yes, but I would have preferred to say infatuation," Kasumi responded, "Sometimes a young man will feel something towards a woman that he...admires from a distance, but it is not always reciprocated by the other party in question."

"You mean he loves you...but you don't feel the same way about him?" Gosunkugi gently probed.

"Yessss," Kasumi's sigh was even more heartfelt, "And I am very sorry about that. He really is a very nice man, and I used to think he was so funny the way he acted when I was around...but over time...I just haven't felt the same feelings grow towards him that I'm sure he was expecting. I have never done anything to encourage him or give him the false impression that my...respect for him was genuine affection, and...in truth...he disturbs me a little the way he sometimes loses all control and can actually hurt people without thinking. Tofu-Sensei is a very gentle man who would never dream of harming a fly, but the moment that I am around I can sense the way the pattern of his thoughts goes all awry, and...I feel guilty for causing this. I don't know how to change his attitude towards me, but I thought being away for two years might have tempered his behavior slightly."

"Yeah, well, no offense, Sis," Nabiki said, "But it's been a lot quieter around Tofu-Sensei those two years you weren't around to give his patients nightmare. Not that it's your fault he's like that, and I'd love to find a way to calm him down, but only Sensei Trieste knows how to influence him that way. I even tried talking to his mom when she showed up a few months back looking to marry the doc off to this lady bodybuilder and...um...well..." she glanced sidelong at Ranma.

"You mean he might have found someone else?" Kasumi felt bad about the note of hopefulness that she detected in her own voice.

"So what happened?" Ranma wondered.

"Ah..." it was Nabiki's turn to heave a sigh, "Well...if you must know, Tofu-  
Sensei wasn't too thrilled about his mom's choice of a potential wife, so he asked me to help him out and...well...I sort of pretended to be his fianc e...just for a while, mind you..."

"HIS FIANCEE?" Ranma blurted out, surprised at the heat and wave of jealousy this caused him.

"Take it easy," Nabiki urged, "It was just pretend, and only for a few days, but it didn't quite work out. His mom eliminated me from the running by declaring that my hips weren't big enough to suit her ideal for a woman," she sniffed at that and frowned for a moment, "But she thought Akane was just right, go figure. Too bad Tofu-Sensei didn't take the hint and turn to little Sis to solve his problems, it might have put a stop to Akane's rampaging ways and made mom and dad happy since they'd be getting a doctor in the family. Unfortunately Tofu's hooked on you and not Akane..."

"Akane," Gosunkugi paused a moment to ask, "She's one of our classmates, right? The one who sat by you and that other guy in class, right?"

"Guy?" Ranma blinked, "Oh, you mean Ucchan? Uh...she's not a guy, Gos, she just dresses like that."

"You're kidding?" Gosunkugi exclaimed, "Kuonji Ukyo's a woman? Now why didn't I see that?"

"Hey, it's a long story," Ranma shrugged, "Anyway, Akane's real close to Ucchan these days...maybe even a little too close, if you take my meaning."

"Close?" Gosunkugi asked, "How?"

"Like more than buddies," Nabiki said a bit sourly, "I'm still not sure if I approve or disapprove of the association. Kuonji's still an apprenticed Sith in my eyes, but Akane really seems hung up on her for some reason. I'm not sure how Kuonji feels about it, though, even if she's been used lately as Shampoo and Akane's little fuck-toy."

"Nabiki," Kasumi gently chided.

"Sorry about my language, Oneechan, but facts are facts," Nabiki replied, "Kuonji used to be the toughest and most dangerous of Darth Purge's little Sith posse, and I still haven't forgotten that mini-spat that she planted in my shoulder. Up until recently she was after Ranma-kun with the intent to either kill or marry him, and yet when she tossed that away during the race I had the impression she was giving herself a sense of closure on that issue."

"I, too, have worried about the way Akane-chan has changed from the little girl that I remember," Kasumi noted, "When Sensei and I left two years ago she was bright, inquisitive and still open to the ways of the Force, but when I saw her a little over a month ago she had altered so much that I almost did not recognize her. There was anger there, and other emotions, and I could tell that she was no longer as innocent as she was when she used to cling to my knee for comfort. All that fighting with her fellow students in the morning did something to change her...and then I noticed how she tended to stray in her attention towards other female students..."

"Hey, even I never figured out just how far gone Akane's gotten until recently," Nabiki frowned, "With my resources and perceptions you would think that I would have noticed when she became...sexually active, and I've even felt her sometimes checking me out when she thought I wasn't looking, and then when the old pervert showed up I thought maybe that he and Akane spent a little too much time together..."

"Um, excuse me?" Gosunkugi asked, now thoroughly bewildered.

"Hey, I'm with you on that, guy," Ranma sniffed while swatting the other boy squarely between the shoulder blades, "Try figuring out that Tomboy and she'll drive you nuts, believe me."

Gosunkugi gave a rush of air that sounded like a whoop at the unintended force of that backslap and went down flat against the sidewalk. Ranma gave a start and looked down at the sprawled boy and was immediately contrite, "Hey! I'm sorry, Man, I didn't realize..."

"Ah...don't mention it," Gosunkugi wheezed, wondering if his spine had been dislocated by that slap. But then, as he tried to push himself back up into a sitting position, he discovered to his amazement that his head was now angled in the right manner, "Hey, I'm cured!"

"Whoah," Nabiki blinked as she stared down at the pale, slight boy, "Instant recovery, huh? That was some backslap, Ranma-kun."

"Hey, I didn't mean to hit him so hard," Ranma insisted as he reached down to help the other boy to his feet, "Man, don't you have any muscle tone? A little swat like that shouldn't have hurt you this bad..."

"Um...well..." Gosunkugi was conflicted in his feelings on the manner, accepting the other boy's hand while feeling a surge of resentment and envy at the natural strength and robust health that he felt from that brief moment of contact, "No harm done, really..."

"That's good," Nabiki smiled, "Be a shame if a talented resource like you got damaged this easy. Still, Ranma-kun has a point. Have you ever considered studying the martial arts? No offense, but you look like you could use a little development."

"Me?" Gosunkugi blinked, "Study martial arts? But..."

"Sure," Nabiki winked, "Ranma-kun here could teach you a few basics. He's been training in the art since he was old enough to walk, right?"

"Um...kind of," Ranma replied, "I dunno, Nabiki...I've never really taught anyone before. I'm still learning all I can about this Force stuff you and Kasumi have been teaching me..."

Gosunkugi felt even more bewildered than ever, looking from the two Tendo sisters to the rugged boy before him. By their auras he could tell that they were being entirely sincere and were fully intending to help him, including Ranma. Far from acting the part of the bully and lording it over Gosunkugi, as he could quite easily do if he had a mind to, Saotome was actually treating Gosunkugi like an old friend, not a recent acquaintance. There was no dissembly on any of their parts, not even from the clever Nabiki, and yet he could feel the potency in their auras and knew that they were strong in ways he barely comprehended, which meant that they had no reason to lie to him or offer him false expectations.

(They're nice), Gosunkugi thought in mild wonder, (I can't remember the time that I've ever hung around with such basically **nice** people...).

All at once the older Tendo sister, who was looking away from them, said, "Nabiki?"

"Well, what about it, Sis?" Nabiki replied, "You think Ranma-kun has what it takes to be a teacher?"

"We are not alone," Kasumi replied, indicating with a nod the three hard-looking men who had just stepped into their path at the far end of the sidewalk.

Nabiki turned but did not look at those men before noting, "Yeah...I can feel them too. Rats crawling up from the sewer..."

"Huh?" Ranma said, feeling a twinge of danger-senses as he glanced over h is shoulder and saw four more men cutting off their potential path of retreat, "Who are these guys?"

Gosunkugi knew and immediately quailed, "They found me!"

"Found you?" Nabiki asked, then glanced over her other shoulder and said, "Oh."

"Yakuza," Gosunkugi's voice shook as he murmured the word, "I recognize them...they work for the boss, the one my boss worked for, the Obuyun."

"That's right, Little Man," a designated group spokesman said, stepping forward from the rest, "We heard about what happened to poor Hijime-san, and we're here to collect on a debt. You hurt him, made a mess of his little outfit, and now we're going to make a mess of you as an example to anyone who disrespects the Yakuza."

Nabiki ignored the spokesman and continued sensing their periphery, murmuring softly "I make out twenty of them in all, Oneechan, including the two guys holding crossbows in the upper floor window."

"You forgot the man behind the water tower," Kasumi just as casually noted.

"Hey, I was including him, but he's just a lookout, not a fighter," Nabiki shrugged, "I suppose we could take him out last to make sure he doesn't call in reinforcements."

"Just leave the guys on the right side to me," Ranma smiled while smacking fist-  
to-palm, "They won't be a problem."

"Fine," Nabiki said, "Then the guys on the left belong to me. Keep an eye out for that rear and let Kasumi handle the main body."

Gosunkugi blinked and looked from one calm speaker to the other, "Uh...you're not...thinking of fighting them do you? These aren't like those punks you met earlier, these are REAL Yakuza!"

"Man, you sure don't have a lot of confidence in us, do you?" Ranma sniffed before thumping a fist against his other palm, "Jut leave it to us and sit this one out, Egghead. You're more valuable to your folks alive than all beat up by these goons."

"Hey!" the lead spokesman got over his own shock and dismay as he declared, "I'm still talking here! How dare you disrespect me!"

"Could you keep it down for a bit, would you, guys? Said, "We're trying to decide something important, but we'll get to you in another minute."

The leader was clearly not a patient sort and so he cried, "Get them!" just to illustrate his point on who he thought should be commanding the most attention.

His men, only mildly shaken at the casual way in which their alleged victims were behaving, at once complied, only to have the front line of their numbers come within range of their opponents and thus received a savage counter-attack that was as effective as it was wholly unexpected.

The two men who attempted to approach Kasumi clearly expected her to be the easiest one to handle, seeing only a very pretty girl in an odd form of archaic dress over a century out of place for the times, and little suspecting that this dress allowed her a full range of movement, such as when her foot rose up in fifty-two degree angled kick that connected a wooden sandal with the chin of her first opponent, followed by a rapid spinning kick that sent the other hood soaring backward for a good ten meters. The power, control and ease with which she moved took everyone by surprise since she performed this maneuver with an entirely calm expression.

Nabiki just smiled that lopsided smile of hers and raised an arm when her assailants tried to rush her, only to be met by an invisible wall that picked them up and sent them soaring backwards. Ranma's opponents were even less lucky to discover that this whipcord-thin boy could punch and kick with the power of a hammer, and the men he decked landed a good distance away and did not get up again from where they fell, quite clearly driven unconscious.

That abruptly removed eight of the twenty-odd attackers, causing the remaining baker's dozen to react with more alarm and greater caution. Some of these produced weapons from concealment, but at the sight of the first gun Nabiki reached into her sleeve and pulled out a metal rod of her own. Triggering the stud at the side it telescoped out into a pole with one end weighted against the other, and with this in hand she immediately leaped high over the heads of the men wielding weapons, astonishing them as she seemed to defy the pull of gravity before landing in their midst and dispatching them down with quick and economical moves that were little more than an eyeblink and left her standing in control of her corner of the battle.

Ranma saw a weapon being leveled towards him and reacted like a machine, easily side-stepping the thrust of a katana before attacking the arm that held it and causing the man connected to that arm to scream in pain from a fractured wrist and a dislocated shoulder. A palm strike put that man out of his misery and sent him off to dreamland even as Ranma turned to his next opponent and struck with blinding speed and precision, lashing out with a back-kick to finish off the last assailant to come within reach.

Kasumi's hands became a blur as she stepped towards the man pointing a machine pistol in her direction and a flash of light shot from her to slice the weapon in half. A wave of her hand sent two more men tumbling backwards for a good fifteen meters, and then she spun around and brought the tip of her light saber to hover close under the chin of the leader of these thugs, who alone had remained standing and not attacking, overconfidently trusting in his men to render him the victory in this battle..

Kasumi did not even show a flicker of emotion as she calmly said, "I would suggest that you surrender and leave now. We have no quarrel with you, nor you with us, but if you continue to press the matter then we cannot be held accountable for the outcome."

The man just gawked in dismay as he felt the heat from the tip of that saber and realized that he was only still breathing from the good graces of the Kami, to say nothing of this SCARY woman who fought without anger or hate as though fearing nothing and considering such things to be totally beneath her. Her gentle demeanor belied a tigress who could take larger men down without so much as breaking a sweat, and he knew instinctively that crossing her was NOT a good career option.

The crack of a rifle shot could be heard all the way down the street, but Nabiki's staff flashed a magnetically curved blade of concentrated laser energy and her Naginata moved to intercept the bullet before it could find its target. The hiss of metal evaporating against the magnetically contained shell of the Naginata blade gave the leader of these hoodlums a strong taste of what it would be like to feel its touch against bare skin. Realizing that he was just that close to becoming skewered on the point of such a weapon, he did the only thing that seemed reasonable under the circumstances and abruptly fainted.

Nabiki, meanwhile, had located the shooter and reached out with her hand, guided by the Force to his location, and though he was over a hundred and twenty meters away he suddenly felt as though an invisible grasp closed around his body, and before he knew it he was being yanked off his purchase to fall a couple of stories onto an air conditioning generator, hard enough to knock him out without shattering every bone in his body. His rifle clattered to the ground some distance away, the stock cracking on impact while the weapon itself became functionally useless.

Satisfied with her own handiwork, Nabiki deactivated her naginata and collapsed the ends back into the shaft handle. She turned to give Ranma a smug look then nodded to her sister, who calmly put away her own lightsaber.

"Showoff," Ranma said to one of his two iinazuke, "Well, that was short. I thought these guys would be more of a challenge."

"I would call it anticlimactic," Nabiki sniffed, "Not one A-list fighter in the bunch, just the usual riff-raff of hoodlums and posers."

"Nonetheless, Nabiki, it would be best if we exercise caution in the near future," Kasumi said mildly, "The Yakuza are not known to give up easily when they feel it is a matter of honor at stake, and we will have to inform Mistress Trieste of this encounter the next time that we see her."

"I hear you, Oneechan," Nabiki sighed, "Guess that means we ought to get a workout the next time they show up since they're likely to send their heavies. Oh well, just as long as none of them are Force-trained..."

"Hey, you okay, guy?" Ranma asked the silent Gosunkugi, "You look kind of pale...well, uh...I mean...paler for you. You gonna be all right?"

Gosunkugi was asking himself the same question. He just stared in disbelief at the fallen bodies of the Yakuza, then at the three who had dispatched them and asked, "Who...who are you people?"

"We're the Anything Goes School of Jedi Arts, Gosunkugi-kun," Nabiki winked, "Stick with us and you might even see something really special, not just a minor row like this one."

"A minor row?" Gosunkugi repeated blandly.

"These were not very competent fighters, Hikaru-kun," Kasumi gently informed him, "I'm sure that they could seem formidable from the perspective of one of their regular victims, but we are not quite so easily dispatched, and the Jedi arts are powerful because the Force is our ally and we walk within its comforting embrace always."

"The Force?" Gosunkugi repeated.

"Yeah," Ranma clapped the boy on the shoulder (this time being sure not to use too much strength in the gesture), "Said the same thing myself when I first got here, even after learning some tricks from hanging around with Shampoo. Tell you what, why don't you stop over at the Tendo dojo and we'll give you a brief intro."

"Besides which," Nabiki winked, "I suspect you already are very strong with the Force yourself, Gosunkugi-kun. You just lack formal training, but if you hang around with us long enough you're bound to pick something up by osmosis."

"That would be a wonderful idea," Kasumi nodded, "There are many things which we could teach you about yourself if you have a mind to, Hikaru-kun. I believe that you might even go far with a little training, if our Sensei approves of having you for a student."

Something in Gosunkugi leaped up in his chest and he lifted his head for the first time, eyes shining with a long-forgotten emotion called hope, and without any hesitation on his part he replied, "I'd like to learn...whatever you could teach me. I...I want to know...everything...!"

"Could take a while," Ranma sniffed before turning a smile to his two ladies and adding, "What do you say, girls? Think he's got what it take to be a Jedi?"

"Maybe not a Jedi," Kasumi noted, "But I'm sure Hikaru-kun could learn a great deal at our dojo.

"And who knows?" Nabiki nudged the slighter boy with a playful hip-bump, "Gos-  
kun here might even be useful to us. So, what do you say, Hikaru-kun? Want to take a tour of our humble little dojo."

"Please," Gosunkugi smiled back, feeling more than a little shy and awkward at having a pretty girl show him this small degree of affection. Ranma was certainly lucky to have two women both interested in him who not only looked like these two but who were genuinely beautiful on the inside. If only he could find a woman like that then he'd die a happy man...but-for the moment-he had every intention of living to see the next sunrise, if only to fill the emptiness within him with the knowledge that they had to teach. A beautiful new horizon beckoned towards him, and he knew that he would do anything to achieve it, even sell his own soul if he felt it was worth a trifle, though something in the smiles these three offered to him made him think that the cost would be not so great a burden...

Kodachi had just dismissed her fellow gymnasts and was cleaning up behind them when she chanced to hear the approach of a pair of footsteps. Ordinarily she would have her minions do the actual labor of putting the equipment away, but as she was feeling restless and in need of something to do she had sent the other girls to the showers in order to provide herself with some privacy as she attempted to sort out the array of her own emotions.

She knew implicitly that her girls were too well trained to defy her command, and the footsteps sounded much too heavy to be caused by a gymnast. If one of her pet slaves had dared to intrude upon her private musings it could only have been for the purpose of provoking Kodachi into **punishing** them for their naughty intransigence. Kodachi smiled at the thought of what she might do to such a disobedient pet, even as she slipped her ribbon into one hand and prepared to use it, gauging the location of the other party by the sounds made by approaching her from behind.

At the last second she whirled around and unleashed her ribbon, only to have the razor-sharp end of it be snatched out of the air by a hand that moved quicker than a cobra. Kodachi was startled to find the one gripping her ribbon was none other than a handsome young boy wearing a very odd outfit that seemed to combine armor and Chinese vestments with what looked like wound up pantyhose, all of which gave the boy an effete-if-rugged charm that momentarily took her breath away, especially since he was smiling upon her with a cocky, knowing smirk that fairly radiated self-confidence bordering on arrogance.

In dismay at her own surprised reactions Kodachi gasped, "Who...?"

"Call me Taro," the boy said in a voice that rumbled with raw sensualism, "But what's in a name, Beautiful? A rose like you would smell just as sweet when she's bedded."

Kodachi felt her cheeks flush crimson at the unexpected compliment, but she fought the impulse down sternly and frowned, "Who are you, impertinent fellow, and how did you get in here? Boys are not permitted in Saint Hebereke's during regular school hours..."

"What's the matter, Beautiful?" Taro asked with that condescending smirk of his, "Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? You afraid I'm gonna eat you, little girl? You do look tasty enough to make a nice snack, that I'll grant you."

Kodachi felt anger tinge her emotions even as she perversely felt aroused by the young man's odd appraisal, and with her usual imperious tones she declared, "How dare you speak that way to your betters, you...peasant! I'll have you know that I am the daughter of the noble house of Kuno..."

"Big whoop-de-doo," Taro said as he slowly started to approach the slender gymnast, making no secret of the way in which his eyes took in her long bare legs and fulsome figure, "Think that makes any difference to me? You're a prize and a jewel, that I'll grant you, but it ain't your family title that I'm interested in...it's you, Girlie, and so far I'm liking what I see of the merchandise..."

Kodachi stiffened but refused to give in to the impulse of a terrified child wanting to run away and call out for her momma. The predatory look in the other boy was making her feel uncomfortably like a deer being stalked by a hunter, but she resolutely looked the boy in the eyes and said, "I can see that you are no gentleman, but if you persist in this, then I shall call for a school administrator and have you arrested for trespass."

"Go ahead and scream," Taro leered as he continued to approach her, "I ain't like one of your domesticated little fawns who you like to get your rocks off with. I'm used to getting what I want, and what I want here is right in front of me. Tell me, Beautiful, is it true what they say about you gymnasts busting your cherry from all those leg-lifts you do in practice? Because I always wanted to find out first hand if that was true or not..."

Kodachi's hand lashed out like a shot, only to have her wrist be grabbed before she could slap his arrogant face. She tried to knee him but he easily blocked her, not even seeming to move as he next blocked her high-kick to the side of her head. Instead he grasped her ankle and used her own momentum to tumble her down onto the mattress, and then he landed on top of her, pinning her there with his greater mass and the skill of his own body.

"Let me go!" Kodachi raged, "How dare you!" but inwardly she felt a fear go through her that she had not felt since waking up to find herself tied down in the bed of Tendo Akane. That same helpless sense of dread was welling up inside her, but tempered now with the fear of actual rape impending. She knew without a single doubt that the boy was in position now to force himself on her without her ability to offer more than a token show of resistance. It was a fear that made her fight back all the more furiously, wanting to scratch his face and claw her way to freedom.

Instead of going on to ravage her, however, the Boy just held her down and kept a firm grip on her wrists before hissing, "Calm down. I ain't gonna hurt you."

"Liar!" she spat, intending to bite his lips if he tried to force a kiss on her. No way would she go down this time passively, not even to the superior force of another.

"Why would I lie?" Taro asked reasonably, easily resisting her best efforts to work herself free, "I could do anything I like to you while you're helpless like this, but I ain't never forced myself on anybody, and I ain't gonna start now, not even for a tempting little cupcake like you, Precious."

Kodachi ceased struggling but looked up at him with rounded, fearful eyes, her dread causing her to lose all pretense of haughtiness as she asked, "What do you want with me?"

"You need an explanation?" Taro asked, then he surprised her entirely by letting her go and sitting back up, rolling off of Kodachi so that the gymnast could quickly move herself out from under his body.

Kodachi fluidly assumed a cat-like crouch and stared at the dangerous boy with wary eyes, now quite aware of his strength, skill and abilities and intending not to let her guard down so that she might be taken once again with such ridiculous ease. Taro only leaned on one arm and studied her back with a confident smirk, and while Kodachi wanted to slap him once again she nonetheless held her ground, now fully cautious about lowering her guard within his presence.

"The deal is this, Cute-stuff," Taro began, "I've been watching you and I got a pretty good handle on where you come from and what you're all about. I got tempted by the packaging, but I wanted a chance to get to know you in person, so I waited until you were alone so we could maybe get to know one another. You got a problem with that?"

"No," Kodachi said reluctantly, "But when a strange boy shows up mysteriously in the gymnasium of an all-girls school claiming to have observed me from afar...well...you have to concede that it does sound more than a bit suspicious."

"Fair enough," Taro replied, "Then why don't I just get right down to the chase and say that I want to spend some time with you. Is that a problem for you, or are you only interested in girl-chasing?"

"No!" Kodachi replied just with just a bit more haste than necessary, "I like men...I mean...I'm not a lesbian, if that is what you are thinking..."

"Cool," Taro replied, "Frankly, I ain't got a problem with you rug-munching the sheep, and I wouldn't mind watching you administer some of your special kind of discipline, but I'm a he-man sort of guy and you won't catch me wearing leather and calling you Mistress. You deal with me you either deal as an equal or my bitch, that's the bottom line, Beautiful, and you can take it or leave it."

"Tempting," Kodachi mused, "But I think that I shall pass."

"So soon?" Taro gave her another patented leer, "You ain't even seen what I got to offer."

"Not interested," Kodachi at once assumed an aloof air and turned he nose up, staring off over one shoulder, "In case you haven't noticed, I am not exactly in the market for a Master..."

"Now who's being a liar here?" Taro chuckled.

Kodachi flashed an angry glare at him, "You are a cheeky fellow..."

"All part of my charm," he replied back, "Truth is...I think you want somebody to dominate you, and you'd rather it was a guy and not some frail from a lower social class. I can tell just by looking at you that you've never had a boyfriend..."

"What?" Kodachi flinched, "How...?"

"The way you blushed right now," Taro indicated, "A more experienced girl wouldn't react like that. My guess is, excluding your list of girlfriends, you've never even been touched by a man before, not unless he was either your doctor or a kinsman."

Kodachi's eyes narrowed sharply as she studied the roguish fellow with new appraisal. Obviously his intelligence was a lot higher than she had taken him for, but his brutish charms and coarse manners spoke of very low breeding, and so she sneered and said, "Do you think yourself my better, Churl? I have met common janitors who evidence superior breeding to what you have so far demonstrated..."

"I just tell it like it is, Girlfriend," Taro chuckled, not rising to the bait of her hurled insults, "You ask me, being lesser nobility ain't what it was cracked up to be in the pre-Meiji era...too much serious in-breeding between your noble houses does that to you after a few generations. You need a fresh infusion of young blood every now and then to shake out the recessives. Besides, this ain't about titles and pedigrees and now long back you can trace your ancestral line, it's just between you and me, Doll-face, and I'm betting that Porcelain you pretend to be made of's got a lot more resilience behind you than either brass or marble. In fact, I'm looking to take you for a test-ride just to see if you really are a match for my expectations."

Now Kodachi felt livid with a wealth of conflicting emotions, alternately hot and bothered by the boy's cunning nature and the way in which he seemed to see right through her to the very core of her being. The sheer arrogance and presumptuousness with which he addressed her was a sure sign of low breeding, yet she could not entirely set aside the fact that a large portion of her was very much intrigued with the prospect of being "ridden."

Aloud what she said was, "And what makes you think that I would possibly ever denigrate myself by deigning to share space with such a lowly peasant? You presume too much from me..."

"Do I?" Taro smiled like the lazy predator that he so obviously was, "Think you can dismiss me like that just because I'm Chinese and not Japanese? You Nips are so stuck-up about mixing your gene pool, but even a sheltered flower like you must wonder what it's like taking a trip on the wild side, away from all those stuffy social conventions that choke the life out of your fun."

Very cautiously Kodachi asked, "Fun? And what is your idea of having fun, pray tell?"

Taro just leered at her as though it were a ridiculously obvious question.

"Hmph," Kodachi scowled, "As I said, you presume too much."

"Why deny it, Beautiful?" Taro asked reasonably, "You know you want it just as much as I do. I can feel it all the way over here, the excitement, your pulse racing, the curiosity to know what it's like to be with a real man, to have something hard and stiff between your legs that don't feel nothing like a dildo, and me sliding it up into you like a sheath to your namesake, over and over again until you feel your whole world rocking. Admit it, you're just dying to know what it's all about, and it's only your pride that's making you act so haughty."

"Not just my pride," Kodachi said in a voice that surprised her as it quavered with emotion, "My family and heritage demand that I do not lower myself to consorting with one who could only bring shame and dishonor to my lineage."

"Suit yourself," Taro said as he started to get up off the floor padding.

"Wait!" Kodachi heard someone who sounded a lot like her say, "Where are you going?"

"You don't want to play with me right now, I can always come back later," Taro replied, glancing at her from over one shoulder, "But sooner or later you're gonna be mine, Doll-face, and the sooner you get used to the idea of that, the better you'll feel about it. Just remember, you deal with me you either deal as an equal or my frail. I don't mind using a girl that way if she wants to be used, but I ain't no rapist. I'm gonna give you time to think it over just to prove to you that I can be a gentleman when it suits me, but we both know I'm only leaving 'cause it's my choice to make. You got a choice yourself...if you have the nerve to commit to calling me Taro-sama."

"Never," Kodachi declared breathily, but even as she made that statement she felt her whole body trembling from within, aching with a need that she had never felt before, so strong it made her want to call out to the arrogant boy in order to urge him to come back.

She turned and walked over for a bit, then sagged against a nearby post and allowed her legs to lose all tension as she sank to the floor, feeling her breath begin go quicken as her loins began to tremble and she became essentially nerveless, the tension flowing from her body. She would not stir again from that spot for the next forty minutes, and even then she only roused herself in order to seek out a cold shower, knowing that her nights would be even more sleepless than they were already until the next time she saw Taro, and even then she would not be satisfied until she had that arrogant boy crawling on his knees and begging her for her favors...

Not that she would ever give in to such a vile impulse, of course, but the thought of seeing Taro again filled her with a sense of odd potential...

Outside the ground of Saint Hebereke, Taro heard a familiar voice hiss, "Nicely played. You carried that off to perfection."

"What did I tell you, Boss?" Taro smirked, "My charm gets 'em every time. Give it a few days and I'll have that frail come crawling on all fours begging to kiss my feet. I know the type, stuck-up and sheltered, just waiting for a real man to come along and teach 'em the basics."

Purge eyed his apprentice with renewed appreciation and said, "You like this female, don't you? I can sense that you were as taken in by her charms as she was with your mammalian pheromones."

"Well hey," Taro smirked, "You got a good look at her, she's a real knockout. And there's such fire in her eyes...I tell you, she's got real potential, not to mention a really cute butt, and I kind of like that odd tick she makes under one eye when she gets flustered about something..."

"Not my thing," Purge sniffed, "I look for very different qualities in a female."

"Your loss," Taro shrugged, "But there ain't nothing green or scaly about that rich bitch's behind, and I'd love to tan her with a few swats to get her to start singing my praises."

"All in good time," Purge remarked, "The important thing is that you have established contact with yet another promising candidate, and-like her brother-I intend to shape the destiny of this Kodachi like the well-tended flowering bush to which she compares herself. You may do the honors of breaking her to the harness, but I shall be her ultimate Master."

"Anything you say, Boss," Taro grinned confidently, all the while knowing that it was his brand that he intended to apply to the sensitive flesh of the lovely Kuno Kodachi, a woman every inch worthy of the name, and one he found himself both eager and intrigued to meet again under different circumstances, and not just with the intent of converting her to the ways of the Dark side...

Ukyo was feeling a distinctive sense of unease as she walked along with her two companions, wondering (and not for the first or last time either) just what she was doing hanging around with a pair like this Shampoo and Akane, knowing what they were like and yet somehow finding herself magnetically drawn to their presence.

Akane was still in shock after having concluded that stunning interrogation with Trieste and her mother, her mind still reeling from the ultimatum that she had been given by her teacher to either "shape up or ship out," and with the results from failure being spelled out in drastic terms that even to Ukyo's ears sounded pretty drastic.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked aloud, her expression indicating the extent to which even she had been cowed by Trieste's declaration.

That often-expressed interjection by the Amazon was all it took to break the dam for Akane, who all but literally exploded with the words, "I can't believe she said that! I can't believe my own mother would go along with something like that! I can't believe that they would threaten me that way! What have I ever done to deserve being stripped and blinded of my Jedi powers? What?"

Ukyo politely coughed and said, "You want a list, Sugar?"

"What?" Akane turned around and looked at Ukyo with an expression that mingled the hurt and betrayal that she was feeling.

"You come on to girls like it was nothing," Ukyo ticked off with her fingers, "You love 'em and dump 'em on the sidelines like you haven't a care for all the hearts you may have broken, and you probably hurt their boyfriends even more by making them look bad by contrast. On top of that, you've all but admitted that you raped that Kuno girl, and that's not even saying what you and Shampoo here did with me under the banner of therapy...that and you tend to blow up in rage whenever Ranchan's around. Is it any wonder that your folks think you may be headed for the Dark side? Even at my worst I was never such a promising Sith candidate."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo asked with a non-plussed expression.

To Ukyo's surprise Akane's expression softened, but the hurt still remained, "You really think I'm that bad to be around, Ucchan?"

Ukyo squirmed under the full impact of that gaze and rather reluctantly conceded, "Well...no...I wouldn't call what you guys did to me actual rape. I don't mean I think it was the best thing to do under the circumstances, but it did help me to calm down and get over the shock of nearly getting gang-banged by Kuno's henchmen. But still...you have to admit you do seem to be pretty out of control when it comes to controlling your baser impulses. Take that Kodachi for example...she comes across like this haughty S&amp;M queen, but she takes one look at you and starts running for the timbers."

"I told you, that's just because she's a bit shy about what happened," Akane turned and looked straight ahead once again, "All right, I'll admit that I get pretty amused at feeling the way that she reacts when she gets sight of me, but I really don't think I was all that bad with her, considering that she came into my room intending to club me. I could have been a lot worse with her...or...I could have let her off with a stiff warning..."

"Exactly," Ukyo replied, "But you didn't, did you? And did you really intend to let her go without taking a few liberties once you had her tied down to her bed, hmm?"

Akane flinched a bit and seemed to chew her lower lip before responding, "I've heard...stories about Kodachi...both before and after what happened. Before all I got were complaints about what a horrible cheater she was, ambushing fellow students and rendering them in no fit shape to compete, which is kind of why my classmates turned to me to help represent Furinkan. I trained pretty hard to make a good showing at the match, but when Kodachi showed up intending to do the same thing that she did to my friends...and let me tell you, they looked pretty banged up when I saw them that day...I guess I...kind of meant to teach her a lesson..."

"Got a feeling you did more than that, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "The girl looked and felt traumatized when I saw her at the race the other day. You said she stopped ambushing other girls from other schools, right?"

"Um...yes," Akane squirmed a bit before she continued, "Only now...the rumors I've heard say she sticks pretty much to her own classmates when it comes to...harassment. There's a rumor going around that Kodachi's gotten...pretty intense about training with the other girls in her gymnastics club, and that the things she does to them if they fail to please her...um...well..." she blushed, "...They sound...kind of...interesting...ah, not that I'd ever go in for S&amp;M and stuff like that..."

"Of course," Ukyo replied, then she blinked, "Wait a minute...are you saying she really has turned into an S&amp;M Bondage queen?"

"A Queen, maybe," Akane replied, "But, well...can you blame her? She attends an all-girls school, for Kami's sakes! Being around all that luscious pulchritude all day, and many girls looking up to her since she's so rich and poised and elegant and beautiful, I mean...if I were in her place, I'd have trouble controlling myself..."

"Ah...yeah...I kinda figured that...Sugar," Ukyo remarked with a disquieted expression.

Akane turned a guilty look back towards Ukyo then moved in closer to take the chef by one arm and Shampoo by another, "Oh, but that was the old me, before I met you guys, when I was still looking for love in all the best places. You don't have to be jealous of me going after girls that way anymore, Ucchan..."

"Jealous?" Ukyo said stiffly.

Shampoo turned a sly-amused look at Ukyo and said, "Is what you fear most, yes? Being loved and left behind, much as you blamed this one's little brother until recently? Is fact, Ucchan...you have issues about abandonment. You think this one and Akane just use you then toss away like rag at end of month. That why you always so nervous around Akane."

"But I'd never do that to you, Ucchan," Akane leaned closer, "You mean more to me than a douche rag, and you're certainly a lot more cuddly than a tampon..."

Ukyo winced slightly as she glanced down at the other girl, but she had to admit that it was not revulsion which she was feeling or any other sort of emotion that she would have understood, given how uncomfortable she felt at being held **that way** by anyone, let along another girl. Instead of shrugging Akane off she glanced away and said uneasily, "I don't even know what I'm doing here anymore. I feel...lost sometimes, rudderless...like my life no longer has any clearly defined purpose..."

"Huh?" Akane moved away slightly to better look up at Ukyo's somewhat conflicted expression.

"I mean..." Ukyo struggled to find the words, "Since Master Purge abandoned me...I've felt like yesterday's used linens. I thought I could pick up the pieces by myself, but then you two kept butting into my personal affairs, and before I knew it I was hanging around with you, getting used like a sex toy."

"Is no so bad, yes?" Shampoo asked with a puzzled expression.

Ukyo sighed again, "Look guys...I gotta tell you, being around you isn't all fun and games. I mean...sure the sex is great, and maybe I'm not as...disturbed about admitting that as I used to be...like, maybe I'm not the most feminine girl around..."

"Hah!" Akane scoffed, "You're as feminine as anyone I know, Ucchan. You just have more guts about being yourself instead of being what other people tell you to be..."

"That ain't true at all, Sugar," Ukyo shook her head negatively, "I think I've become more like what you and Purple-Locks here want me to be, and it was so gradual that I almost didn't realize it until now. That's the real reason why I've been on edge so much of late...I'm afraid I'm losing my identity, my sense of who and what I am since I no longer feel like a Sith lord. Working with the old woman in the restaurant is about the only place where I feel like I have any kind of place at all. Making okonomiyaki used to be such fun for me when I was little...I think I'm discovering that fun all over again, but until I really know who and what I am...I just can't be that comfortable. You understand what I'm saying, Sugar?"

Akane was silent for a moment, then she lowered her eyes and said, "You mean...you want me to back off a bit...not come on so strong, give you more room to breathe...is that it?"

"It might help," Ukyo responded, but then something in the hurt look that she saw in Akane's eyes compelled her to say, "Hey, I'm not pushing you guys away. Fact is...you two are about the only real friends I have, other than Ranchan...and...I really haven't been good friends with him for quite a while now. Truth is I don't really feel comfortable around him while he's making out with your two sisters. Kasumi just seems...kind of old for him, and that Nabiki..."

"Oh yeah," Akane said with a nervous laugh, "She does take some getting used to..."

"So you see what my problem is?" Ukyo asked, "I need to know who and what I am now that I don't define myself anymore by my need for vengeance. That rage took up so much of my life that without it...I feel kind of empty inside. I've mostly just been going along with the tide ever since I started hanging out with the both of you...and why are you giving me a look like that, Sugar?"

Shampoo smiled and said, "Is good to hear Ukyo express self in this manner. Is closest thing to truth that this one hear from you since our first meeting."

Ukyo blinked at that then saw the almost shy smile that Akane was wearing.

"Shampoo's right," Akane said, "You've been holding it in so long that I was starting to wonder if you even knew how to show your feelings. You've been hanging around with guys so long that you now think and behave like they do, always hiding from their own emotions. It really sounds...nice to hear you be this self-honest."

Ukyo blinked a bit at that then turned away and started forward again, "What am I gonna do with you two nymphos? Here I thought I had you both pegged as shallow and on the make, and you go and talk like you actually got half a brain between you..."

"This one is liking Ucchan the more she open up and reveal her heart," Shampoo said with easy affection, "But should not judge a scroll by its color. Many people think this one only party girl because she like have fun with other womans, but this one have many, many hidden talents, and if you spend enough time with her, then maybe she show you."

The coy way in which the Amazon said this caused Ukyo to blush and feel abruptly nervous. That always seemed to be the way that her two companions dealt with any issue that became too complex and emotional...they just reverted to sexual innuendo as though to change the subject. One of these days she was going to call them on the carpet for that, but for now she allowed the conversation to drift back to familiar territory, having felt more exposed by her own admissions than at any time in her life going back to early childhood.

"Sometimes I think I'm already a lost cause around you," Ukyo admitted, "Kami knows what I'm doing here leaving myself exposed to any perversions that come into your warped little minds. I must be a masochist, or maybe this is some way I'm using to punish myself for past misbehavior."

"Aw, now don't say that, Ucchan," Akane said, "You're not a lost cause around me. I really do care about you, you know, and not just because you're so much fun in the sack. I think you're a pretty terrific person, and you can cook a lot better than me..."

"Ah...right," Ukyo conceded, giving the pair at her side a dubious side-glance, wondering as always why they seemed to flirt so casually without the least hint of jealousy between them. She could tell that there were deep emotional bonds already building between the Amazon and the young Force Master, and yet whenever one strayed to "check out" another girl the other one gleefully copied her example. Ukyo would at least have expected a flash of annoyance whenever one paid attention to anyone but each other, much as she felt when she caught the two of them ogling other women...

"Anyway," Akane resumed, causing Ukyo to break off that sudden and surprising train of thought, "If you need help finding yourself, then we'd be happy to help you. But...if you want more space...we could arrange that. I mean...it's not like we want to smother you with attention, Ucchan, even if Shampoo and me...well...we really do like having you around."

"Is true," Shampoo agreed, "This one already consider you like oath sister, and would defend Ucchan's back from harm if threatened. Akane not only one who think you pretty terrific cook, and this one learn how make delicious meal that too-too good from studying with father..."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "Your father? Not your mother?"

To her surprise Shampoo winced slightly and said, "This one mother...she no great at cooking. Is very tragic story, but she better brew potion than thing you eat at table."

"I thought Amazons did most of the work in your society, Shampoo," Akane asked with clear interest.

"No," Shampoo replied, "Warriors mostly train for battle...is men's work taking care of house and children. Some men warriors, everyone in village know how to fight, but this one's father...he outsider male, come to village and defeat mother in game of chess..."

"What?" Ukyo blinked, "You're kidding."

"Is true," Shampoo replied, "No defeat mother in fight, though this one's father great expert at Shaolin style martial arts. Challenge mother to board game, win big every time. Mother get angry and make last game serious, then lose. Great-  
grandmother then say mother marry to father, been married ever since. That how Shampoo know she have smartest father in whole village."

Both Ukyo and Akane blinked at this, then exchanged puzzled looks before the latter said, "Whatever..."

"Learn many things from father...where there time to talk with me," Shampoo sighed, "But since age of six, this one train with great-grandmother and live in her house, no spend much time with mother and father, though she learn many useful things like Amazon healing, and father very clever with mechanical devices..."

"What?" Ukyo said, "You'd dad's a mechanic?"

"Best one in village," Shampoo said proudly, "Always make and repair stuff for other villagers, most people in village very happy that Hairbrush marry Comb and become great fixer..."

"Hairbrush?" Akane repeated.

"Comb?" Ukyo blinked.

"Is name of this one's parents," Shampoo said with coy satisfaction, "What, you think Japanese name sound any stranger to Shampoo hearing?"

"Ah..." Akane glanced away, "Never mind. Anyway...somehow I've got to convince Trieste-Sensei that I'm not a Dark Jedi and I haven't gone over to the dark side of the Force yet..."

"The word is yet, Sugar," Ukyo cautioned.

Akane flashed annoyance at that and said, "Not ever. I may be a lot of things, Ucchan, but I am no Dark Jedi. I've never deliberately gone out of my way to hurt anyone...um...except for Ranma, but he usually deserves it..."

"This one is wondering how we convince Elder Trieste that we just have fun and no mean harm while train for big challenge match against pervert girl and stuck-  
up boy. You think it long time have to train for this one and Ucchan to become good at skating?"

"Um...well...yes..." Akane conceded just as they arrived at their destination, the front entrance to Cologne's restaurant, "In fact...I was really looking forward to spending more time with you guys teaching you the basics..."

"A splendid idea," Cologne herself remarked, "We'll combine the two together."

"Huh?" Ukyo reacted with a start, finding the old woman standing on one of the restaurant tables just inside beyond the front entrance, resting her staff against one shoulder.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo softly averred, "Great grandmother?"

"I'd heard from your mother and Trieste-san just now that they were expressing their concerns about your most recent behavior, Tendo-san," the old woman said as she addressed herself towards Akane, "Indeed, to some extent I have shared their concerns, which is why I have offered to assist your mentor in helping to define and redeem your character, and a martial arts training duel sounds like just the thing that the Goddess ordered."

"Um...excuse me, Baba?" Akane asked as respectfully as she was able.

"We begin at once after your classes tomorrow," Cologne replied, "Shampoo and Kuonji will train with you in the Amazon art of combat skating, and during that training I will give each of you an evaluation."

"Amazon art of combat skating?" Ukyo repeated.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo murmured faintly, "How come this one no ever learn of such a thing?"

"An oversight on my part," Cologne replied, "I did not foresee that such a skill would be of use to you, Child, but now is the time to make up for opportunities. Miss Tendo, you will help conduct classes for Miss Kuonji and my great-  
granddaughter, and your performance tomorrow will help me to ascertain whether Trieste's concerns are warranted or not. I am expecting good things from you on the morrow, but now, if you ladies don't mind, I have a business to run, and you are very late to work, Miss Kuonji, so...get into your chef's uniform or I will dock you a days pay as an example."

The old woman hopped away and began to stop at the tables of the various guests waiting at their tables, then back to the kitchen to resume her duties cooking.

"Train us?" Ukyo repeated softly.

"Akane teach us how to skate?" Shampoo murmured with the same surprised expression.

"I am soooo doomed..." Akane murmured faintly, to which her two companions could only nod their heads in tacit agreement, dreading the days that were to follow...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Eschatological debates: shadowmane

As Akane and her cohorts take to the ice rink to begin their training, Gosunkugi gets a crash course in Martial Arts Force Manipulation, and Kodachi has yet another run-in with the seductive Taro. Will the Black Rose lose what is left of her flower of innocence to the crafty Sith Apprentice? Will Akane flub her big chance at setting everyone's fears to rest while going up against the likes of Senzenen Mikado? And will Ranma ever get laid in this fanfic? For these and other cosmic mysteries yet to be unraveled, stay tuned for, "Cold Heart, Hot Fist," or, "The Ice Queen Cummoth!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	27. Chapter 27

Jedi Kasumi27

Jedi Kasumi

(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas,  
with ideas and inspiration provided by friends like Brandon Kelley and others.)

(Disclaimer: I'm not being paid to do this, I do this for fun,  
I only want to entertain people who read my work, and I don't have anything worth suing over anyway, so tell George Lucas that I'm not worth the bother)

Episode Twenty-Seven.

Follies on Ice

Having survived yet another encounter with the Yakuza, Kasumi,  
Nabiki and Ranma arrive safely at the Tendo dojo with Gosunkugi in tow, intending to introduce the boy to their Sensei, Trieste, the Jedi Mistress...

Gosunkugi, a frail boy picked on and despised by others, has demonstrated a power of precognition that has caught the Jedi interest, and yet what other hidden gifts he might possess has yet to be discovered, even as Gosunkugi himself tries to make sense of these people who have been surprisingly kind towards him and have treated him like an actual person...

As for Akane and her companions, Ukyo and Shampoo, they face the challenge of the Golden Pair and are being trained for this by Cologne,  
the Amazon Elder who is also Shampoo's Great-grandmother and teacher, and all as a part of the greater scheme to test the worthiness of Akane to receive further Jedi training...

Meanwhile,  
Darth Purge and Pantyhose Taro have Schemes of their own afoot for recruiting the Kuno siblings as potential minions for the Dark Side.  
Both Kodachi and Tatewaki as yet have no idea of what perils await them at the hands of the Sith, yet both are aware that something ominous is in the works and each is preparing in their own way to meet the perceived challenges that yet await them...

And lastly,  
a certain Lost Boy is wandering around, feeling forlorn and abandoned, searching desperately for his beloved (and unsuspecting) Ukyo while heedless of the looming peril that yet awaits him...

"Where am I this time?"

This often voice complaint by a certain scion of the house of Hibiki was greeted only by curious looks from passing high school students whose uniform was not familiar to Ryoga, only that he knew for a certainty that this was not the Furinkan campus but somewhere else in the many districts of Tokyo. Which one was the question, and how far was he now from obtaining his objective?

"Ukyo," he said forlornly, feeling the blackness well up from within his soul as despair and rage warred for dominance within him, "Please hold on, wherever you are. I know that I've been failing you so often lately, but if I just persevere..." the rest of his sentence was lost to the guttural grunting of his cursed form as someone chose that moment to dump a bucket of cold water on his head from an upper storied window.

"Careful," one girl was saying to another, "You might have hit someone emptying your mop water like that."

"Hey, no harm done, right?" the other girl glanced down, "Just some guy in a costume...hey, do you know if they're putting on a play for Beauty and the Beast this week?"

"Not that I know of," the other girl said, "But you have to admit, his makeup is pretty good..."

Ryoga was just philosophical enough to reason that it was a good thing that his curse had been altered from the original one bestowed upon him at Jusenkyo. Being a hybrid between a human form and that of a pig had certain advantages over being a small, four-footed animal, such as the use of hands with opposable thumbs. Even so he had trouble talking in this form, let alone making himself comprehensible to others, but still he sighed in an altogether human manner, his anger draining right out of him as he waited for the inevitable screams and exclamations with pointed fingers and shocked expressions sure to follow.

He just hoped this time that these students wouldn't try to tar and feather him when they labeled him as a monster, he always hated when they tried to do that. It was not as though it was his fault that he looked like this (actually it was Purge's for not supplying him with a full dose of Nanniichuan water) with his tusks and bestial features with the short dark fur that sprouted out over all exposed areas of his body. It was too much to ask that they might let him get away from them unscathed, but still he had hope that they might at least give him a head start just to be sporting...

"Vincent? Is that you, Vincent?"

Ryoga blinked. That did not quite sound like screaming...

He turned around and then looked down, only to find the most adorably kawaii face looking up at him with round-eyed excitement. The curly-haired girl looked as though she were too young to be out of Middle School as yet, and yet she did seem to have a very womanly figure for all her shortness in stature.

"Excuse me?" Ryoga asked, thinking clearly that this girl had somehow confused him with someone else.

To his surprise she took him by the arm and started tugging him along, eagerly saying, "Come home with little Azusa, Vincent, and she'll make you a nice cup of hot cocoa and read you stories and play games and..."

"Um...excuse me?" Ryoga attempted to resist the kawaii girl's pressure yet found her grip more tenacious than expected. Several puzzling things occurred to him at the same time, not least of which was the realization that she was not afraid of him and actually wanted to spend time in his presence, but that she quite obviously had him mixed up with some person named "Vincent" (who also, strangely, resembled Ryoga in his cursed form) and was offering to feed him on false pretenses, which he knew was quite improper.

"Please," Ryoga urged as he once again attempted to extricate his arm from the grip of the smaller girl, "My name isn't Vincent, there's been some kind of a mistake..."

"That is okay, Vincent," the frizzy-haired girl replied as though she had not actually heard him, "Little Azusa knows just where to take you to get you all prettied up so she can introduce you to the rest of her friends, and won't that be ever so nice?"

"But...!" Ryoga started to protest, finding himself dragged off despite his best efforts at resisting this disturbingly kawaii little fruitcake, and with a strong sense that life was about to take a really strange turn for him...or, at least, stranger even than to what he was already quite accustomed...

"Hello?" Kasumi politely called out as she and her companions approached the dojo, "Mistress Trieste? We've brought a friend that we would like to introduce to you..."

"Indeed, Kasumi?" Trieste looked up from where she and Kimiko had been sitting together in respectful meditation.

"Sensei," Kasumi said as she turned and indicated the slender young boy standing just outside of the dojo proper, looking both anxious and nervous and not a little careworn, "This is a classmate of Ranma-kun's named Gosunkugi Hikaru. We rescued him from some rather unpleasant gentlemen and discovered that he has...unusual talents that might be of interest. Would you care to examine him, please?"

"Indeed?" Trieste rose fluidly to her feet and regarded the young man in question, "Gosunkugi Hikaru. I can sense that there is indeed something unusual about you, young man, and that you indeed have talents that have not been put to very good use lately."

"Um," Gosunkugi glanced down, hunching his shoulders, "You could say that, Ma'am...I...I sort of have this ability to see things, and it...sort of complicates my life..."

"Gosunkugi?" Kimiko mused softly, "Interesting. Any relation to a Gosunkugi Hitomo?"

"She's my aunt," Gosunkugi replied, "Married into a good family, but...um...well...I haven't seen her too often..."

"I knew her once a very long time ago," Kimiko nodded, "So you're her nephew...interesting..."

"Indeed," Trieste said as she gracefully descended from the steps of the dojo to confront the boy standing among her more promising apprentices, "Hidden talents indeed, and I can sense that the Force flows very strongly within you."

"Uh...Ma'am?" Gosunkugi asked with evident confusion.

"Had the same sense about him myself, Sensei," Nabiki noted with her customary sardonic smirk in place, "He's definitely clairvoyant, even had a vision about me that sounded pretty ominous, but I also suspect that there's a lot more than that to his talents."

"You did well to bring him to me," Trieste slowly nodded before turning to Kasumi, "Unpleasant sorts you say? Of what nature?"

"Yakuza," Kasumi answered.

"I can't say that I find that too surprising," Trieste mused as she folded her arms and studied the boy with more than her usual level of interest, "There is a flow about you, young man, that leads me to suspect that you have a strong ability to redirect probability currents. Of course without training this ability will lay dormant and only come to the surface during odd moments of acute stress, but I do believe that it is within the scope of my teaching to assist you in learning to develop your various talents..."

"Ma'am?" Gosunkugi reluctantly shuffled his feet and said, "I would love to study with you...but...you have to know...they threatened my family once, and if the Yakuza move again..."

"Then we will deal with matters as we must when they unfold accordingly," Trieste turned to regard both Kasumi and Nabiki in her glance, "I take it you did not kill anyone on the way here. I would have felt the disturbance if you had..."

"No, Sensei," Kasumi replied softly, "We did not take any lives...this time."

"We didn't think you'd want this to become a blood feud," Nabiki added, "At least while there's still time to work something out through negotiation."

"You both did well," Trieste nodded, "I will decide when and if matters are to be taken to such a level. As it is we may still be able to avoid bloodshed, if only to judge with our past experiences dealing with these gangster types. The problem is that once you open a feud with them then you must take it all the way up the chain to the top, and such a war is hardly conducive to the sort of studies that we conduct within this dojo."

"Uh...Sensei?" Ranma looked both confused and uncertain at the mention of a blood feud.

"Never mind, Ranma-kun," Trieste smiled in the manner of a gentle dismissal, "Now that you are here, it should be time for us to prepare your dinner. Gosunkugi-kun, may I take it on faith that you will stay with us and share a meal that Kimiko-chan and I have prepared together?"

"Um...well...if it isn't too much trouble..." Gosunkugi meekly responded.

"Good," Trieste slowly nodded, "We'll dine together and then, in an hour or two, we will begin your formal interview to determine just what sort of a Force manipulator you can be. I don't think your physical skills would be too well defined at the present, but your mental abilities...ah, that is a different matter."

"You really think he can learn this Jedi stuff you teach, Sensei?" Ranma asked.

"Believe me when I say this, Ranma-kun," Trieste said sincerely, "But if you can learn it, then he most certainly can too."

"Uh," Nabiki glanced around, stretching out with her feelings before saying aloud, "I don't sense Akane anywhere around, Sensei. Isn't she coming with us to dinner?"

"Akane...has made other plans for tonight, Nabiki-chan," Kimiko said, "She's spending some quality time with Cologne and her two friends. In fact, I understand that they went ice skating just now at the sporting arena."

"That figures," Nabiki sniffed, "Ever since she met Kuonji and that Shampoo she's hardly been able to think about anything else but. Little Sis is either very much in love with one or both of that pair or she's just hornier than usual, which isn't saying much to judge by her past list of conquests."

"Nabiki-chan," Kasumi gently chided, "That isn't a very nice thing to say. It may be true, but Akane is still very young and it's only natural that she enjoys the time that she spends with her friends, even if some aspects of it are not entirely proper."

"Well, say what you will, but I, for one, am pleased that your sister has found good friends that she can spend time with in that manner," Kimiko smiled fondly, "I can remember when I was her age...oh my! I'd better not go into too many details on that, but before I joined the service or hooked up with your father, I was quite a bit of a hellraiser myself, and it's...interesting to see how much Akane takes after me in that respect. Of course I never tried anything like that around Nodoka..." she added with a bit too much haste for even Ranma's state of composure.

"Mother?" Kasumi asked with raised eyebrows.

"Don't tell us you actually approve of Akane screwing around with Ukyo and Shampoo?" Nabiki looked and sounded faintly appalled on that subject.

Kimiko sighed, "Don't judge your sister too harshly, Dears. After all, she is only human..."

"That's a matter of opinion," Ranma faintly murmured with a disquieted expression.

"Not to worry," Trieste noted, "Akane has been put on warning that her recent behavior has raised some...disturbing questions concerning her present level of Force Training. However, with Elder Cologne looking after her right now, I'm sure that she'll be mindful about her conduct in the future."

"That all depends on what she's doing right now," Nabiki faintly groused, "And knowing Akane she's no doubt got her face buried into the middle of the action, one way or another..."

As it turned out Akane did not have her face buried into anything at the moment but her own two hands as she covered her eyes and winced, moaning to herself, "We are soooo doomed..."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo asked from laying flat on her back with her legs curled over Ukyo, who was the one who presently had her face buried into the ice upon which they both were laying.

"Gah...watch where you're slipping next time," Ukyo spat ice crystals off of her tongue and lips, "You want to brain me or something?"

"Well," Cologne sighed while sitting perched atop of her staff studying the two novice ice skaters, "It does seem as if we have a lot of look ahead of us if we're to get a handle on your balance and posture. But that's good," she added quickly, "Knowing that there's room for improvement is the first key to mastering a new technique..."

"Spare me the pep rally," Akane sighed, "This is hopeless. How are we going to train these two to skate like a team in the time we have before our big match against the Golden Pair? You really should let me skate out there with Ukyo, who at least knows how to stand upright. Shampoo...no offence, Honey-pie, but you suck out here on the ice. I mean...don't they do any skating out in your part of China?"

"Why?" Shampoo asked practically as she climbed off of Ukyo, "No see reason skate on frozen lake. You fall in, you die quickly. Even Amazon no can resist hypothermia, just ask this one's mother."

"For once I'm with Lavender Locks on this," Ukyo groaned as she pushed herself up to a sitting position, "If the Kami had wanted us to skate they'd have given us feet for the job..."

"Shame on you two," Cologne scowled, "And you call yourselves martial artists? Shampoo, you manage well enough with a pair of skis on snow, so why should Ice-  
Skating be such a challenge?"

"Is not to give offense, Elder," Shampoo replied, "But Akane right. She much, much better partner to Ukyo in match. Shampoo be glad if she learn how skate good, but Golden Pair is said to be very strong opponents."

"And when has any great-grandchild of mine allowed herself to be intimidated by a strong opponent?" Cologne drew herself up to her not-very-impressive full height, "Shame on you for giving up so easy. I can clearly see that I have been much too lenient with you until now, but that is about to change. You are now to train on the ice for as long as it takes until you no longer feel this badly intimidated."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured, faintly appalled, but she was smart enough to know better than to decline the stern tone of her imperious elder.

"Then what am I going to do here, Baba?" Akane asked sincerely, "I want to help out, but..."

"You and Kuonji-san may go off over there and practice together for a while," Cologne replied in an off-handed manner, "I will stay here and coach Shampoo into mastering the ice...even if it kills her."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo said timidly, then gulped in dread of learning whether her great-grandmother was being metaphorical or sincere in that pronouncement.

"All right," Akane said, turning to Ukyo and said, "C'mon, Ucchan, I'll show you how to do some figure eights at least."

"Terrific," Ukyo replied, but beyond this she gave no further protest.

As Shampoo carefully worked her way back to her feet, she paused to glance over at her two closest friends (at least those not in China) before saying to her Elder, "Hibiichan, why you no want to let Ukyo and Akane compete together against Golden Pair? Is punishment for bad behavior?"

"No child," Cologne smiled back, giving a wizened glance in the direction of the two teens being mentioned, "Far to the contrary, as a matter of fact. In truth I want to hold young Miss Tendo in reserve while you and Kuonji do the principle fighting. You will learn why in due course, but for now...let's just say that you can learn more by separating the object of a pursuit from the pursuer herself, especially if you make that pursuer into the more difficult task of a teacher. In truth the one who is most here to learn a lesson is Akane, but let's leave that a secret between us for now, Child, shall we?"

"This one...supposes..." Shampoo remarked dubiously, wondering just what it was that her devious relative had going on in her crafty mind, and whether it signified good or bad things for her good friend and her intended, but knowing better than to attempt to second-guess her Elder...

Ukyo was finding her position made all the more awkward by having to rely upon Akane for occasional assistance in finding her balance. That and the way Akane seemed to hover anxiously by her side made Ukyo all the more aware of her relative vulnerability, and the ease with which Akane moved on the ice while Ukyo had to constantly ward off a tendency to stumble. The idea that this dark haired girl was a better skater stung her pride and made Ukyo want to stand a little straighter (though the last time she had tried the effort had dumped her on her backside), and it was only with some effort that she realized that her attitude strongly resembled that of the guy she often pretended to be. Years of hiding out among the opposite sex as just "one of the boys" left her ill-  
prepared for the idea of being shown up by a woman. That the woman in question was a girl with whom she shared an active physical relationship only further complicated matters and was leaving her with a sense of wounded pride and a badly bruised ego.

Well, nearly as bruised as her butt was feeling like at the moment, but just the same Ukyo was through with looking bad next to Akane and wanted to see to it that she mastered the basics before any more kids passed by snickering at her and muttering some nonsense about "skating like a girl." It rankled her enough to be mistaken for a boy even though she was no longer actively hiding her real gender. She was too used to dressing in pantsuits and masculine clothing...perhaps she ought to try wearing dresses for a change? The very idea of that left Ukyo feeling...very odd about herself, even though she had done that a couple of times around school grounds just to make a point around her fellow high school students.

"You've got that look again," Akane mused while holding Ukyo's hands and skating backwards.

"Huh?" Ukyo frowned, "What look?"

"That thoughtful, 'I'm still trying to figure out what my life is all about' look you always wear when you get serious about something," Akane smiled with genuine affection, "Not that I can blame you for feeling confused. I feel like that a lot myself sometimes..."

"Oh?" Ukyo asked, "Like how, Sugar?"

"Well, look at it this way," Akane reflected, "We're two Japanese girls who defy the conventional expectations of society. You hide your real self behind the mask of the boy you've always pretended to be, while me...well...I'm not exactly like a normal girl, you know."

"Yeah," Ukyo grunted with sincerity, "I've noticed."

"I mean...it's not just my force training or my sexual orientation that's at issue here," Akane continued, "People call me a Tomboy even though I dress more feminine than you...because I like to study the martial arts, and...I kind of have this problem with my temper..."

"You don't say?" Ukyo sniffed, "Mind if I ask you something, Sugar?"

"Sure, go ahead," Akane answered, her expression oddly hopeful.

"How did someone like you ever train to be a Jedi?" Ukyo asked, "No offense, but Master Purge always described the Jedi Knights of his day as being perfect models of self-control, and you..."

"I have trouble controlling my impulses?" Akane nodded, "Yeah, that's what Mistress Trieste said, that I'm out of control and too subject to my own emotions. I won't say if they're wrong or right about me, but I've been living by my wits and emotions for some time now, and I don't feel all that out of control no matter what people may thing about the way I've been acting..."

Ukyo heave a sigh and said, "No offense, Sugar, but you ain't exactly the most objective person to be saying that, are you? You don't think it's a little over-the-top that you've been coming onto me non-stop while screwing with Shampoo and acting like all the sex we've been having lately is all just good clean fun with no real consequences?"

"I don't know what you're feeling so bothered about, Ucchan," Akane pouted, "What's wrong with us having sex whenever we want to? Is that really such a bad thing?"

"You don't get it," Ukyo sighed, "It ain't the frequency that's the problem, or even the amount, it's the feeling I get that you don't attach as much emotion to the act as would most people I know..."

"Yeah?" Akane asked, "And who else do you know besides your Sith buddies?"

"That ain't the point," Ukyo replied, "I've observed lots of people in and out of affairs. I've...um...even been in one myself...sort of. And I know that most girls think sex is a LOT more significant than just a damned handshake. For most it's supposed to mean a lifelong commitment, not a flavor-of-the week..."

"Are we back to that again?" Akane scowled, "Ucchan, when I make love to you it's always significant, and I know I want to do it as often as you'll let me."

"And since when did I have anything to say about it?" Ukyo asked, "You and Shampoo just up and decided one day that I was gonna fuck with you and it clearly didn't count if I was gonna say no or not. All right, I owed you both for the rescue, but then you took it upon yourselves to decide that having sex with me was just the right sort of therapy to get me over being nearly raped..."

"Uh...you mind lowering the volume a little?" Akane asked with a glance around at their surroundings, "I think there are some people in the bleachers who didn't quite hear you saying that..."

"So?" Ukyo asked, "Since when did you care what other people think? You're the one who's pretty much decided that the rest of the world can take a hike if it don't like what you wanna do, and to hell with the consequences. You can jump my bones, or that Kodachi girl..."

"Ukyo," Akane was really scowling now, "What are you saying? Don't you want to be with me any more? Are you really that unhappy? Do you think I'm the one who's dragging you into this...?"

"If I say yes then you'll just get angry," Ukyo scowled back, "But that ain't the way it is at all. I ain't mad at you for screwing me, Akane, I just don't feel like it's as real to you as you claim it is. If I really am as special as you keep insisting..."

"I thought you were," Akane said archly, "But obviously I was mistaken! You really are like a boy, do you know that, Ucchan? You're just as thickheaded as one, and just about as sensitive! If you really want me to take a hike then just come out and say it and I'll leave you alone, no problem!"

"Akane...!" Ukyo started to say when the other girl let go of her hands and spun around, clearly intending to stalk off in a huff and leave the okonomiyaki chef standing (er, skating) where she was without guidance.

"Never mind!" Akane snapped back as she proceeded to do just that, only to run smack into the chest of a young man who had been positioned right behind her.

"Huh?" Akane was startled as she found a pair of arms reach around to embrace her, and then she looked up into the face of none other than Mikado Senzenen and she blinked in surprise at the belated recognition.

"Excuse me, Miss," Senzenen spoke softly, as he peered down at Akane, "Forgive me for standing in your path, but I could not help overhearing the tone of your argument with your boyfriend and...well, I just wanted to say that he's obviously not worthy of you and you wold be well within your rights to tell him to go packing..."

"HEY!" Ukyo protested, having drifted a ways on her skates while this was happening, so that she had to turn in order to keep Senzenen and Akane in her sight...

"Let me go!" Akane protested, squirming to be released from the grip of the taller boy, her expression darkening with disgust and other less pleasant emotions.

"I shall endeavor to do as you like, fair damsel," Senzenen replied, "After I claim my coveted prize, the nine-hundredth and ninety-ninth kiss that I have bestowed upon a maiden. Consider yourself so honored..."

"Honored!" Akane sputtered as she found herself bent backward for a clench, "Hey-wait!"

"Let go of her right now, you Jackass!" Ukyo cried out as she managed to turn herself around and get some momentum as she went charging at Senzenen, surprising herself at the heat of her own outrage. Unfortunately her forward thrust was easily evaded by her intended target, who swept Akane gracefully to the side and left Ukyo to go stumbling off into the nearest section of wall that had been directly behind them.

"Fear not, gentle maiden," Senzenen said as he brought his lips within mere centimeters of the stunned and horrified Akane, "I shall be but a moment with you before I deal with this rude upstart who presumes to call himself your boyfriend."

"My...boyfriend?" Akane stammered, then gasped as she felt his lips pressing in on top of her own and reacted instinctively to escape his grip by falling back onto the ice and dragging Senzenen down with her. She got one knee into his gut then used his moment of surprise to flip him all the way over into the air, bolstering her efforts with her telekinetic Force training to catapult him for several long meters.

Ukyo had just managed to shake off the effects of her own abortive charge when she caught sight of Senzenen twisting around in the air and regaining his bearings before landing in one smooth motion. She then turned and saw Akane spitting on the ice and wiping her mouth with the back of a hand, a look of revulsion and disgust plain upon her features.

"Ugh! I'm gonna be sick!" Akane spat again, "The nerve of that-that-  
Jackass! I'm gonna need rabies shots! Probably caught a communicable disease just touching that baka!"

Ordinarily Ukyo might have taken some small measure of satisfaction in seeing the Tendo girl taken down a peg, but given that her blood was already up and fired, Ukyo surged to her feet feeling the urge to reach for a baker's peel that was not there, her weapons having been stored away in a locker while she went in for this torture on ice that the old woman laughingly called training.

"Hey you!" Ukyo snarled, "I'm gonna pound you flatter than the ice for trying that with Akane!"

"You wish to avenge your wounded dignity?" Senzenen asked as he paused to comb his hair, the model of perfect cool and reserve, "How absurd. As if a low-class boor such as you could claim so delicate a flower of femininity for yourself. Such a thing is an affront to nature, I tell you..."

"Delicate what?" for a moment Ukyo was too surprised to follow through on her anger, wondering if, for certain, this clueless cad truly was referring to Akane.

"Don't mind him, Ukyo!" Akane called out, rolling up her metaphorical sleeves with the full wrath of her expression in evidence like the rising of her battle aura, "He's mine to deal with, the hentai! Imagine trying to kiss me without so much as asking my permission!"

Ukyo paused again, struck once more by the irony of that statement, but still feeling righteous outrage as she scowled and said, "Uh-uh, Sugar. We take turns, and right now I've got my sites on this bozo. You can have him after I'm done with him, if there's anything left, that is..."

"As much as I'm sporting enough to give you a chance to do battle with me," Senzenen said haughtily, "I must decline for now for it is my hour of training. We may settle accounts only after I am through with my late afternoon workout."

"Late afternoon workout?" Akane blinked, "What kind of drugs are you on, Mister? You're worse than Kuno Tatewaki!"

"Whoever that is," Senzenen waved a hand dismissively, then turned to see a group of hockey players wearing goalie masks come skating out onto the ice...at least enough players to comprise several teams worth by Ukyo's estimation, who them crowded the space around the handsome skater in a rough circle with hockey sticks at the ready, and Senzenen coolly holding his ground in the very center of the ice rink.

"Well now," Cologne looked up from where she had Shampoo balancing on one foot above the ice, "This does look to be interesting. I wonder if this boy has as much ability as he seems to think he does? One man versus a hundred opponents...those are odds that even an Amazon might find impressive."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo asked, wobbling a bit as she fought to maintain her balance and knowing better than to drop her other leg even during a moment of her Elder's seeming inattention.

Ukyo and Akane were just beginning to wonder what this was all about when Senzenen told the hockey players to attack him, and then all heck broke loose as the circle erupted into full motion, the enemy skaters coming in two or three at a time while Senzenen remained poised with his arms held out at the ready. Moments later he was moving with great fluidity and grace, dispatching opponents left and right with such ease that it seemed more like a choreographed dance than an actual martial arts challenge, and to the dismay of the onlookers they saw hockey-masked boys going down left, right and center as Senzenen waded through their midst and reacted like a striking falcon, cutting down through the numbers with the ease of a scythe plowing through a wheat field.

Moments later Senzenen at last came to a pause as the only sole remaining occupant of the battle field, to all appearances the model of modesty and contentment. All around him lay the strewn bodies of the rival players, save for one who sat up and pulled out a stop watch and hit the timer button before calling out, "Ten whole seconds."

"Ten seconds?" Senzenen asked while pausing to preen himself once again, "Is that all?"

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo murmured faintly.

"Incredible," Cologne averred softly, "I think I recognize that technique...and the boy performed it with almost flawless precision."

Both Ukyo and Akane just stood gawking in mutual dismay at the ease with which the handsome boy had felled his assailants, but then another figure skated out onto the ice, at once catching both of their attention.

"Mickey," the kawaii, curly-haired exclaimed, "Are you through warming up already? Little Azusa wants some time to practice."

"In but a moment, Azusa-san," Mikado urged, turning back to Ukyo with his confidence fairly reeking from every well-groomed inch of his being, "Well, Kuonji-san? Still eager for our little match? Why don't you admit that you are but a talentless amateur who is thoroughly outclassed by the invincible might of the Golden Pair of Kolhotz High School, the undefeated world champions of Anything Goes Martial Arts Figure Ice Skating?"

"Anything Goes...?" Shampoo turned to her elder and asked, "Hibiichan?"

"I hear, Shampoo," Cologne replied with a narrowing of her eyes, "And I am beginning to detect an altogether familiar pattern to this latest revelation..."

"You-JACKASS!" Ukyo balled her fists and swore, "No way am I conceding anything to the likes of you! You just invited yourself into a world of pain, Asshole, and I'm the one who's going to dish it out on a cold platter!"

"You're so funny," Azusa taunted, "You can barely even stand up on ice and you want to play with Miki-chan and Azusa?"

"I'm not playing nothing with you two creeps!" Ukyo swore as she summoned up the Force within her and prepared to launch an attack, "Just bring it on and I'll show you who you're messing with!"

"Um...Ucchan?" Akane cautiously murmured.

"Just leave this to me, Akane," Ukyo declared as she assumed a fighting crouch, "I'll deal with these two clowns by myself!"

"But...!" Akane tried to warn with greater urgency in her tone and expression.

Too late for that it seemed, for Ukyo launched herself into the air from a standing crouch, pushing against the ice with her manipulation of the Force so that she almost seemed to float over the ice at a very great speed, lashing out with one skate as though she were thrusting with a blade...

Which proved to be totally ineffective as Senzenen casually sidestepped her leap and circled around with a look of wry amusement. Unfortunately for Ukyo, her gravity-defying leap had only been sufficiently strong to carry her for a few meters, and once she came down and set foot on the ice again the laws of inertia took over and she went slipping and sliding all the way to the end of the arena.

"Ohhh," even Azusa winced at the abrupt halt Ukyo subsequently suffered, "You think he mean to stop himself by hitting the wall with his face?"

"Sure hope not," said one of the masked Hockey players who had gathered around to watch the encounter, "I wouldn't want to think that guy did it on purpose..."

"Yeah," the hockey player next to him agreed, "No fooling."

"Hmph, amateur," Senzenen sniffed, "Only a fool launches a suicide attack at the beginning of a match..."

"Ucchan," Akane said with concern, then sighed softly to herself, "Well...I tried to warn her..."

"Now then," Senzenen turned back to cast a dazzling smile upon Akane, "Where did we leave off before we were so rudely interrupted?"

Unfortunately his attempted charms were wasted on Akane, who just glared back hatefully and said, "You try that again and you'll be eating you breakfast through a straw for a week, and I mean that too."

"Ah, you are just shy," Senzenen primped himself once again and said, "How shameless of me, making yet another conquest..."

"Are you even listening to anyone but yourself?" Akane asked, wondering why the boy's words sounded so disturbingly familiar...

"Now then," Senzenen said as he began to move forward, only to flinch as a chunk of ice bounced off his head, catching him by surprise and informing him that somebody else was still very much in the fight.

"Hey, Jackass!" Ukyo snarled, "Try making sure your opponent is down next time before trying to make a grab for the nookie!"

"Nookie?" Akane blink-blinked.

Senzenen rubbed the back of his head and glared in Ukyo's direction, "I might have known that a coward such as you would stage a cheap sneak attack where a more direct offensive failed you..."

"You shut up!" Ukyo growled, preparing to leap, "I'll be better prepared this time around, and there's no way you'll avoid me this time like you dodge my last attack."

"Absurd," Senzenen sniffed, "You are clearly resilient for all your lack of finesse, so I am therefore reluctantly forced to raise the bar a little by revealing to you one of my most formidable techniques for dealing with upstarts. Prepare yourself now, Kuonji-san, to face the dreaded ultimate attack of the Senzenen school...the Dance of Death!"

"Whoah!" the Hockey players collectively gasped.

"The Dance of Death?" one of this masked group said to another.

"I've never seen him perform that before," another goalie-masked skater agreed.

"Yeah, what an honor this will be," remarked a third, and as one they moved back to give the players more room to fight, even as Akane felt the hackles on the back of her neck stand on end, sensing a strong gathering of Force energies around the poised Senzenen.

"Ucchan...you'd better not take this guy too lightly...!" Akane started to warn.

"Don't sweat it, Sugar," Ukyo smiled, "I can take this clown, no problem."

"We will see about that," Senzenen said as he stood upon one leg and moved his hands to his sides as though preparing for a ballet match, "Make your move...it will avail you nothing."

"You asked for this!" Ukyo cried as she leaped to the attack once again, this time aiming with her fist instead of a foot, only to find Mikado Senzenen did not move to avoid her like the last time...rather he started to spin on one leg and easily worked his way around her attack, trapping her up into his pirouette as Senzenen began spinning faster and faster, whirling around like a human top until he created a living vortex.

"Whoah!" Akane gave back a step as the wind kicked up around her, trapping Ukyo up into the swirl of energies that lifted the chef off the ice and held her suspended in mid-air above Senzenen.

"Great-grandmother..." Shampoo began to say, feeling her balance on her own leg starting to give out a little under the strain of non-motion.

"I sense it too, Shampoo," Cologne averred while staring at the vortex with undisguised fascination, "The boy is creating a variation of the Hiryu Shoten Ha, yet...how did he discover such a maneuver? Who was this boy's teacher?"

"Great-grandmother...!" Shampoo said with more urgency, trembling as she fought to retain her posture and balance.

"Not to fear for your friend," Cologne assured her, "Kuonji may have been taken by surprise, but I can see that the girl does not lack for her own resources."

A loud "WHUUUP!" followed by a thud and a yelp caused Cologne to glance to the side, seeing her purple-haired designated heir complaining in very un-lady-like language about a sore behind and something disparaging about the hearing of old people...

Akane was aware of Shampoo's rude landing and shared a sympathetic wince, but her eyes were upon Ukyo as the young Tendo girl counted off softly to herself, "...One hundred and thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four..."

"Oooh," Azusa cooed as she picked up the ice block that Ukyo had hurled against the head of her partner, "Pretty! I'm calling you Martel..."

All at once Ukyo broke free of the vortex and went tumbling face-first into the ice, coming to a complete halt after skidding for two or three meters, at which point Akane sighed and skated over to the side of her fallen companion.

"Ucchan, you idiot," Akane sighed, reaching down to partially lift the stunned chef and put an arm around her waist while bracing her body under one shoulder, "Come on, let's get you home so we can bandage you up before those cuts turn to frostbite..."

"He's still alive?" one of the stunned Hockey players marveled.

"Whoah, that's one tough guy!" another Hockey-masked player complimented.

Akane could not resist smiling and saying, "Oh yeah, Ucchan's quite the guy, certainly more of a man than Senzenen."

"What?" Azusa looked at the dark haired girl and away from her newest prize, "Are you mental? Miki-chan won the fight..."

"Nope, he lost," Akane smirked, "Take a look if you doubt me."

The Hockey players and Azusa all turned to see Mikado still spinning, albeit he was slowing down gradually to a halt, and when he finally did he stood as rigid as a statue.

"I don't believe it," one Hockey player exclaimed.

"He's out like a light...totally petrified!" another player sounded astonished.

"So Ukyo's the real victor here," Akane chimed, "Just remember that when we meet in our match next week, then we'll see which of us is the amateur here."

Behind them they hears Azusa cheerfully say, "Azusa knows what to do...let's write on him with magic markers!"

"Hey!" one of the Hockey players replied to this suggestion, "That's right! We can draw doodles on him while he's unconscious."

"Hey, I want a piece of that action!" yet another player cried, and several more cheerfully joined in as Azusa produced a magic marker and set to work drawing marks on the face and body of her erstwhile partner.

Ukyo managed a wicked smile at this as she glanced back over her shoulder before allowing Akane to lead her away to the sidelines, murmuring softly, "Serves you right, Jackass..."

Cologne's soft chuckle surprised Shampoo, who looked at her great grandmother with a questioning expression before the Elder remarked, "Kuonji is quite the charmer, it seems...almost like a man, and I'd swear she has Amazon blood somewhere in her ancestry. Imagine using the boy's own technique against him as a means to get close enough to strike him over five hundred times. Yes, I do see much potential in that Sith-trained chef..."

"Great-grandmother," Shampoo's tone was faintly chiding, "Ukyo is hurt. No want Akane be the only one take care of Spatula girl while she need attention."

"Oh, go and have your fun, child," Cologne said with a dismissing wave, "But tomorrow we are getting up bright and early to work some more upon our balance. No daughter of my house will fail this badly to stand on one leg on the ice for no more than a few minutes. I will not be satisfied until you can manage half the day on either leg, that in addition to your learning to skate competently with style, grace and sufficient power to show up that Senzenen boy."

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo winced before scurrying off as fast as she could on her skates in order to catch up with Ukyo and Akane...

"Honestly," Akane said when the three of them were once more soaking in a hot bath together (and for once that was all that they were doing), "I know the pervert had it coming, Ucchan, but did you have to hit him five-hundred-and-  
thirty times?"

"It would have been six hundred if the baka hadn't passed out after the five-  
hundred-and-twenty-ninth punch," Ukyo snorted, "I told you I could take him."

"This is so," Shampoo said sagely as she enjoyed the way her natural buoyancy took her weight off of her fanny, "But this one still think you better off just knocking him down when he get you into position."

"You take out womanizing flirts like him your way and I'll deal with them my own way," Ukyo said, then paused before adding, "Wait a minute...that didn't come out quite the way I meant it..."

"I'm glad that you're all right, Ucchan," Akane said with a troubled expression, "But what did you mean earlier when you called me 'the Nookie?'"

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "Did I say that?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo nodded, "This one hear you very clearly. Um...what does Nookie mean?"

"It's means Chinese Take-out," Akane grinned, "You surprise me, Ucchan, I didn't know you went in for such things..."

"Ah..." Ukyo glanced away and hoped that the hot water would conceal the blush that colored her cheeks.

"Honestly though," Akane said more seriously, "I thought it was very sweet of you to stand up for me that way...even if I could have dealt with Senzenen myself if need be."

Ukyo heaved a sigh and said, "You may think that was now, Sugar, but I can vouch that he's a lot more formidable than you'd expect from a guy as full of himself as that baka. I knew guys like that at my old school...they think they're the Kami's gift to the ladies, but I can tell you that they only have one thing on their mind, and it ain't simply a kiss and a handshake."

"I can deal with boys like that," Akane shrugged, "I've been dealing with them for over a year now at Furinkan, and I doubt that Senzenen could get any more annoying than Kuno..."

Ukyo shook her head and said, "Tatewaki ain't gunning for you, Sugar, he's aiming for your sister. That's why he takes it easy with you every morning, but I found out the hard way that he ain't no easy pushover. If he ever really went all out with you..."

"I said I could take him," Akane frowned in mild annoyance.

"Yeah, sure you could," Ukyo sniffed, "But I can tell you right away that Senzenen guy ain't the pushover a fancy-pants serial molester like that might seem like. You lower your guard like that and the next time he really will kiss you."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo looked from one girlfriend to the other, "Maybe Ucchan have point, Akane-chan. Even great-grandmother much impressed by boy's fighting methods, think maybe he have secret Amazon training..."

"You guys," Akane huffed, "Honestly, even if he's as good as you say, Senzenen's got an ego that's even bigger than Ranma's, and he left an opening for me a mile wide. Either one of you could take him in a straight fight..."

"Yeah, on solid ground without skates on," Ukyo replied, "But on the ice he's dynamite. I'm gonna have to train hard as it is if I'm gonna lay him out on his lady-killer butt the next time we but head."

"I'm sure you'll have him outclassed in no time, Ucchan," Akane affirmed, balling a fist, "But I'll be ready for him if he tries anything like that with me a second time. Boys like him think us girls are all just props for his own amusement, but he's gonna get a first-hand lesson in why such obsolete thinking doesn't apply to girls like me. He moves in for another clench-WHAMMO! End of story."

Ukyo rolled her eyes and growled, "And you razz me for man-like behavior. Honestly, you're got more pride than good sense, and you're always biting off a lot more than you can chew..."

"Oh yeah?" Akane said crossly, "And what was with that macho posture you put on? No wonder those guys thought you were another guy defending his territory..."

"Territory?" Ukyo blinked, "Since when were you my territory? Usually it's the other way around..."

"Oh yeah?" Akane growled, "Well, I don't see any of my markers on you, but if it's only me chasing after you, then why did you get so huffy about Senzenen trying to kiss me?"

"Because I don't like jerks like him taking advantage of women, okay?" Ukyo shot back, "You may not be a wilting lily, Sugar, but you left yourself wide open when he moved in for the clench..."

"Is that so?" Akane asked, "And it didn't bother you at all that a GUY found me attractive enough to want to kiss me?"

"I thought that guy was making you sick, remember?" Ukyo growled, "I thought I was doing you a favor..."

"Well, you were," Akane snarled, "But I didn't ask you to do it for me, you just did it on your own..."

"Because I'm probably nuts since I ought to have known better than to try and stand up for a pervert like you," Ukyo scowled.

"Pervert?" Akane blinked before outrage made her cry, "Who are you calling a pervert, you...hentai?"

"Hey!" Ukyo reacted, "Why am are you calling me the hentai, you hentai?"

"Because you dress like a boy and talk like one too," Akane snapped, "And you're just as thick as any boy I've ever known, and where do you get off calling me a pervert?"

"Because you're the one who chases girls all the time, Doofus," Ukyo scowled, "The only difference between you and Senzenen is the scale of his conquests. One thousand for him, only eighteen or nineteen so far for you, and given time you'd be just like him..."

"You take that back this instant, Ucchan!" Akane sputtered.

"Oh, can't take the truth, can you?" Ukyo leaned forward, "The past is catching up with you and now you have to face the fact that you've been just as callous as him when it comes to the way you approach relationships and women..."

"That's not true!" Akane protested, only to lose some of her fire the next instant as she rather plaintively asked, "Is it?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo softly averred as she looked uneasily from one friend to the other.

"Akane," Ukyo lost some of her own temper as she looked at the wounded expression of the other girl, "I don't think you ever really meant to hurt anyone's feelings, but you've all but admitted to me that you've gone out of your way to seek sexual dalliances with any girl you take a fancy to, even if it means breaking up pre-existing relationships between those girls and their boyfriends, relations you don't happen to approve of. And then there's the deal with you and that Kodachi girl...you wanna tell me how tying somebody up and forcing them to have sex is the behavior of one of the good guys?"

Akane shrank back a bit and looked somewhat plaintively at Ukyo, "I told you...I didn't rape her..."

"Maybe that's just a matter of opinion, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "Ever think of that?"

The silence hung in the air for several moments until Shampoo heaved a sigh of her own and said, "This talk is making this one's head hurt."

"I'm not pointing any fingers are you, Shampoo," Ukyo said in a more mollified tone, "You do what you think you have to, even if it's cornering me in the showers and screwing my brains out. I've sure you've got issues of your own to discuss to judge from the way the old woman rides on you..."

"This one is no the subject here," Shampoo said very firmly, "This one has been observer enough to know that you and Akane-chan should kiss and make up before you do more to hurt each others feelings."

"Kiss and make up?" Akane asked, "After the things she just said?"

"Is old Amazon saying," Shampoo responded, "Enemies even better than friends when they tell you things you friends would never say to your face. Is learning experience, yes? You get into trouble with Elder Trieste, maybe you try listen to what others say that maybe you wrong about..."

"The same thing could apply equally to you, Sugar," Ukyo noted.

"This one is no blind to this, Ucchan," Shampoo smiled back, "But this one no think she that bad to be around, and maybe you like this one even if Shampoo is...pervert girl?" she frowned a bit as she spoke the word as though uncertain as to its true meaning.

Ukyo sighed, "Okay...you got me there. If I didn't like you guys then I guess I wouldn't hang around with you so much. But still...I've been boiling up to say stuff to you for quite a while now. Akane, you say you're my friend, but just how much do you respect me and my opinion?"

Akane blinked, "I respect you, Ucchan. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Then maybe you'll accept it when I ask you to back off once in a while when you want to push an issue?" Ukyo cocked an eyebrow, "Some of us ain't in the mood to have sex twenty-four-seven, y'know. I mean...there's a time and place for everything, right?"

"Is so," Shampoo nodded sagely, then slipped up next to Ukyo and added, "So this time and place you like? Shampoo very much in mood to make Ucchan relax and forget all about bad stuff."

Ukyo felt the heat of the Amazon leaning closer to her own naked body and sensed a trembling up and down her spine, but rather than give into the temptation she said, "And how am I to know that what I feel is genuine and not just something you do with a Jedi mind trick? No offense, Shampoo, but...how can I really trust you?"

Shampoo pouted as she thought this over but she did not draw away, simply lowered her head and looked up through crimson eyes at Ukyo and said, "Maybe you learn trust Shampoo if she let Ucchan make first move tonight?"

"Um...well, that's a start anyway," Ukyo nervously swallowed, shifting the focus of her gaze towards Akane, "Tell me something, Sugar...when you look at me do you really see my face, or just a big, sloppy wet pussy for you to suck on?"

"I like sucking pussy, Ukyo...especially yours," Akane meekly noted, "But if you think I'm forcing you to have sex against your will..."

"I'm just saying that I want to know what is my will and what ain't," Ukyo responded. "If you really want to deal with me in any kind of meaningful relationship then you're gonna have to give me space whenever I need time to myself. Mind you...I've kinda gotten used to having my nips and pussy get sucked, and I don't much fancy sleeping alone any more, but...I need to know if these are genuine feelings on my part or if it's all just about hormones."

"Then if Ukyo want space, Ukyo have space," Shampoo nodded sagely, then rose up out of the hot water with her body glistening and wet all over, "Want have fun with Shampoo, Spatula girl know where she find her."

"And I'll be just fine by myself," Akane noted with a faint scowl, "You just watch and see, you'll learn how strong I am, Ucchan. You'll see that it's really you I care about and not just your sloppy wet pussy."

"Guess that'll have to do for now," Ukyo rose up out of the tub and reached for her towel, "Sleeping alone might not seem like much fun, but I'll sleep a lot easier if I know I won't be called on to perform at a moment's notice."

"Oh, Spatula girl no need worry she perform for Shampoo," the Amazon cooed slyly as she wiggled her hips and sensuously stepped out of the furo, sauntering across the floor as she picked up her towel and made a point of drying her long purple hair while leaving her body fully exposed and glistening with moisture, "Shampoo perform for Ukyo if ask, no have to do anything but lay back and let Chinese fireworks go off inside of head and body."

"Just don't expect us to come crawling to you tonight," Akane said with a huff as she climbed out of the furo and reached for her own towel, "You're so worried about us doing all the work, but it goes both ways too, you know, Ukyo, so you just think about that and sleep tight in your own bed, alone and without us."

"Ah-ah," Shampoo waved a finger at Akane, "We do this, we do this right, Akane-  
chan. We no sleep with Ukyo, we no sleep with each other tonight either."

"Huh?" Akane looked stunned, "Why not?"

"Is this best this way," Shampoo replied as she turned away from her two companions, "Maybe Ukyo think we is nothing but about sex, but this one show her can be much more than just sex toy. Maybe Ukyo decide she like this one and Akane even better if she spend more time getting to know us other way."

Akane looked even more hurt and disappointed than before, but she glanced down in resignation and said, "Uh...well...all right, if you think that's for the best."

"You see what this one means," Shampoo winked at her two companions before adding in a sultry leer, "Is better when sex is wanted by both parties, and we maybe teach Ukyo that she want pleasures as much as we do. Then we see who is pervert girl among us."

"Ah...right," Ukyo covered a blush as she coyly examined the bodies of the other two girls and compared them with her own, taking notice of Shampoo's lush curviness and Akane's more boyish frame, and she wondered to herself why it was that she found them both equally attractive. Her own body tended towards the voluptuous as well, but her breasts were no where near as pendulous as the Amazon's own "chest fruit," so she felt as though she occupied the broad middle space between the purple-haired sexpot and the slender, small-breasted Tomboy, so in a way they did make a very interesting study in complimentary contrasts.

Ukyo shook off her partial daze as she watched Shampoo saunter out of the room, then she caught Akane looking towards her curiously and said, "What?"

"I just can't believe that you ever passed yourself off as a boy," Akane replied with a strong hint of awkwardness in her tone and expression, "Next to you I feel like a block of wood. If only you weren't so much like a guy in other ways..." and she shook her head in mild dismay before wrapping her towel about her body and gathering her long black hair up into a ponytail for easier drying, tying a ribbon to keep it in place much as Ukyo herself tended to do, which was a very different look from anything that Ukyo was used to around the younger Force Mistress.

"Akane," Ukyo found herself saying before she could even think about it, "I ain't mad at you, Sugar, and I ain't rejecting you neither..."

Akane paused with her back turned to Ukyo, then very quietly she said, "I know, Ucchan. It's just...I really do like you, and I just wish you'd accept that..."

"I'm trying to, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "It's just...kinda hard for me to get used to trusting people...I mean...with my upbringing and all."

Akane turned around and gave Ukyo the most seriously sober look that the chef could ever remember seeing on the younger girl's expression, "So why don't you try practicing with me? Or am I too much of a pervert for you...just because I think you're so special?"

"Uh...huh?" Ukyo blinked, her mental processes momentarily derailed by the unexpected well of emotion that she saw written plain in the other girl's expression.

"Never mind," Akane turned away, "You're just so clueless sometimes, and you drive me so crazy..."

"Ah...Akane?" Ukyo felt her head swim, "What did I do now?"

"Just forget it, Ucchan," Akane sighed as she moved to leave the furo area, "Go sleep on a couch it if makes you happy, I'm sure Cologne's got plenty of extra blankets."

"Akane..." Ukyo started forward, towel in place around her body and her long brown hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She started to reach out to the other girl, but before she could touch her she felt a wave of Force energy spring up to pick her up and hurl her the length of the room with the wall breaking her flight so that Ukyo wound up sprawled on the floor, feeling dazed and confused at this unexpected rejection of her petition.

"What'd I do?" Ukyo asked herself softly plaintive tones before huffing to herself with no real sense of irony, "I'm never gonna understand women..."

Unseen and unheard by the chef, a certain Amazon Elder chuckled to herself, "Ah, Kuonji-san, if only you knew the true extent of that statement..." Cologne paused with a crafty little smile then added, "Shampoo has chosen her companions well, but I wonder if you could truly be the answer to all my prayers, or just another disappointment about to happen..."

With that thought in mind Cologne pogoed off on her staff to finish closing down her restaurant for the night, humming to herself a merry little tune while plotting out a list of events to occupy the time tomorrow before the next stage of the training fun, hoping that matters would unfold in accordance to her wishes for her great-granddaughter...and fully prepared to take what actions should prove necessary in order to bring about the cherished path of her family's future, the fortunes of which currently rested upon her amorous heir...one way or another...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Courtship for Tomboys: shadowmane

Gosunkugi begins his own special brand of Force training while Kasumi gathers Nabiki and Ranma together to discuss the very serious matter of their mutual engagement, and Akane finds herself making a side-trip to the Kuno mansion while Ukyo and Shampoo prepare to face the Golden Pair in pitched battle. But what of the fate of Ryoga, who has somehow fallen prey to Azusa's kawaii clutches? All this and the fiendish plot of Taro and Darth Purge in, "Prying Eyes are Watching You," or, "A Tale of Two Tomboys!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	28. Chapter 28

Jedi Kasumi28

Jedi Kasumi

(A Star Wars/Ranma crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi &amp; George Lucas, with ideas and inspiration provided by my friends Bill Guiroff and Brandon Kelley, but seeing as we're doing this for free it would make little sense to sue us, right Lucas Industries? ^_^)

THE BETA VERSION

(Additional material provided by Rann Aridorn with ideas and suggestions from Gregg Sharp and others...)

LEMON-LIME ALERT! HENTAI ACTION FORTHCOMING!  
CONTAINS SCENES OF AN ENTIRELY ADULT NATURE;  
NOT FOR THE IMMATURE OF HEART OR THOSE WHO THING MARRIAGE SHOULD BE RESERVED BEFORE THE SEX HAPPENS-YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Episode Twenty-Eight:

Eventful Horizons

Having accepted the challenge of the Golden Pair, Akane and her allies, Ukyo and Shampoo,  
have been training with Cologne in order to master the art of Anything Goes Martial Arts Figure Skating, a training Program that has proven both rigorous and quite demanding for the young Jedi Trainees...

Meanwhile,  
A gifted young boy by the name of Gosunkugi Hikaru has been recruited by Kasumi,  
Nabiki and their young iinazuke,  
Ranma Saotome, for testing and possible training in Force Mastery due to his unusual gift, of psychic precognition,  
which could prove beneficial to the cause of our young heroes...

Unbeknownst to Ranma, however,  
Kasumi has ulterior motives for arranging a special "training session," exclusively for them and Nabiki, at the urging of their mother,  
Kimiko Tendo, and Trieste, the Jedi Mistress,  
to further the aims of uniting the houses of Tendo and Saotome...

Furthermore,  
Trieste has other Aims in mind for the youngest of her Apprentice Jedi Adepts, Akane, which will require mending a breach between the families of Tendo and Kuno, plans of which the young Force Mistress as yet remains unaware at the present, though they shortly will be made plain to her within the coming hour that follows...

"Where are we going, Sensei?" Akane asked as she dutifully followed after Trieste and her mother, wondering at the secrecy that was hidden in their expressions as the two older women guided her to their unknown destination.

"Patience, little flower," her mother replied, "You can go back to training with your friends after we discuss a little matter of business with an old friend of mine. You need not worry that we'll be gone for too long, and Elder Cologne seems to be managing well enough without you."

"I guess," Akane replied with a sour expression, trudging along while resisting the urge to relieve herself of the tingling sensations that she was currently experiencing, around her loins and breasts, the result of having slept alone for the past two days in her own bed and without her usual nocturnal companions.

"Patience, Akane-chan," Trieste mildly chided her youngest student, "A Jedi must be above petty concerns and discomforts of the body. You must learn to discipline your senses more if you are to be truly worthy of your heritage and my teachings."

"I know that, Sensei," Akane complained, "But...I'm sorry...the last few days have been real hard, what with the training and all, getting Ucchan and Shampoo to coordinate their steps on the ice, and even with Elder Cologne helping out it's still been rough..."

"Especially since you had a fight with your friends and have yet to make up?" Kimiko turned and smiled over her shoulder at her daughter, adding a wink for extra measure.

"Mom," Akane fairly wilted under that glance.

"We understand and sympathize with your situation, Akane-chan," Trieste assured her apprentice, "But we need you to stay focused with us on the here and now. The past and future do not exist right now, all that matters is what is there before you. Learn to live in the present and the future will take care of itself. The past...is always the past, and no matter what regrets you may bear, you cannot allow the past to govern your present actions."

"I'll try and remember that, Sensei," Akane replied, then winced before adding, "No, I mean...I'll do that. Honestly. I will remember to stay focused."

"That is good," Trieste replied, hiding the smile that she briefly shared with Kimiko as the two of them walked side-by-side down the streets of Nerima, coming to a halt only when they had at last arrived at the largest privately owned residential area upon the block, at which point they turned and walked up to the main gate entrance.

Akane blanched when she saw where they were and said aloud, "The Kuno mansion? Why are we stopping here?"

"Because the past, Akane-chan," her mother explained, "may not be as important as the present, but certain past actions on your point do need to be addressed if we are to settle accounts with our good friends, the Kunos."

"Good friends?" Akane swallowed, "You're kidding, right?"

"One does not jest about matters of honor and propriety," Trieste replied serenely, pressing a finger to the button at the front gate and waiting until a voice acknowledged them, at which point she spoke aloud, "The Tendo party, here to see Kuno Hitome and Godai. Are they in residence?"

"One moment, Lady Trieste," the guard at the gate replied with obvious recognition of her voice, "The Master and Mistress are expecting you. Please wait and Sasuke will be there at once to guide you."

"Ah...I don't get it," Akane said with increasing nervousness, "Why are we here to visit with the Kunos?"

"Don't be silly, Akane-chan," Kimiko gently chided, "Hitome and I are very good friends, and she trained with me under Trieste when the both of us were undergoing stress management therapy. We do not need a formal reason to wish to pay our respects to our closest friends, though I would mind you to be on your best manners around their children."

"Oh sure, easy for you to say," Akane grumbled softly under her breath, wincing slightly as she anticipated having to be civil around the likes of Kuno Tatewaki, though she did briefly pause to smile when she thought of Tatewaki's younger sister, Kodachi.

In what seemed like next to no time the diminutive family retainer, Sasuke, appeared atop the gates and vaulted over to land and bow at the feet of Kimiko and Trieste, then straighten out and say, "Mistress Trieste, Lady Tendo, what a great honor and a pleasure it is to see you both again. And Mistress Akane, a great honor and a pleasure to see you."

"Hi, Sasuke-kun," Akane flashed a brief smile at the short self-styled Ninja before tending to the queasiness that she was feeling in her stomach, a sure sign that something was in the works here that she was not going to be any too happy about, though she tried not to think that way as Sasuke led the way up the path towards the Kuno family mansion.

In the back of her mind some instinct told her that matters were afoot for which she would be tasked to make an accounting. Why else had she been brought along but neither of her older sisters, and why specifically had Shampoo and Ukyo been told to remain behind? It just did not add up to anything good in Akane's opinion, and as she thought this her mind traveled briefly to the ice rink and a certain cross-dressing former Sith Apprentice who was never far from her thoughts these days, even as she braced herself to confront the Kunos with all the charitable good manners that were in her personal possession...

"Kuonji-san, pay attention!" the old woman snapped, "Inattentiveness like that could cost you dearly in the match that you face in a few more days. Do not waver in the field of battle, especially when you are to coordinate your moves with my great-granddaughter."

"Uh...sorry, Coach," Ukyo winced slightly, "Don't know where I went for a second there. It just sounded like I'd heard Akane calling out to me is all..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo turned to the chef, "This one also think she hear Akane in her mind. Maybe she need our assistance and maybe Spatula girl and Shampoo should go to find her..."

"Nice try," Cologne said tartly, "But your oath-sister is with Elder Trieste and her mother, and I foresee no dire emergency that would require the attention of two untrained minds who can barely skate with proficiency enough to seem half-  
way competent. You are going to have to work a lot harder than that if you think to skip out of your lessons."

"Aiyaa," Ukyo exclaimed, copying one of Shampoo's favorite exclamations, which earned her an amused look from her nominal skating partner, the purple haired wonder who was struggling just as hard as herself to stay upright while doing special maneuvers.

"Maybe we do another lift, Great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked, adding in a sweet undertone, "This time maybe Ucchan no drop this one on her ass? Is very cold place to sit, yes?"

Despite herself Ukyo felt her cheeks grow red for reasons that had nothing to do with the cold of their surroundings, "I said I was sorry about that, Sugar. I didn't actually mean to drop you...any more than I did to fall down on my own ass."

"Is not same as Jack ass, yes?" Shampoo gave a bright little wink at Ukyo, making a play at the chef's own favorite put-down expression, "Is better things do with ass than make get cold, yes?"

Ukyo squirmed a bit, feeling a slight tenseness over certain parts of her own anatomy as she met the red-eyed stare of her comely female companion. It was times such as this when Ukyo was actually glad that she had not been born a boy, even though she might have pretended to be one throughout various parts of her own life. A boy would have had an instant erection had the purple-haired Amazon flirted like that and with such open invitation, and the sort of hard-on she would have inspired could make standing upright **extremely** problematic.

As it was, Ukyo could feel her nipples hardening beneath her sports bra, reminding her (like the phantom tingling in her crotch) just how close she felt towards this "inflatable sex-doll" who seemed to think Lesbian sex was just another form of routine training exercise, one to be seized upon and executed with a "take-no-prisoners" gusto that would leave Ukyo too weak in the knees without hope of remaining upright for any great duration.

It also reminded her of how strongly attracted she was to Shampoo as a person, and not just as a quick and easy lay, which some guys would have regarded her as, much to their mortal peril. Shampoo was no one to be taken lightly. There were layers and depths to the lavender-haired sexpot that shone out from time to time at unexpected moments. Ukyo might once have dismissed the Amazon as an air-headed bimbo had she not gotten to know Shampoo as a person in between their bouts of intense heavy petting and foreplay. Shampoo had more wits about her than most people expected, and she could be surprisingly insightful and deep when the opportunity was at hand for her to express the cunning mind that lurked behind her outwardly baby-doll persona.

It took supreme will to resist the temptations that Shampoo had to offer, but Ukyo had resolved to slow things down for a bit in order to get her bearings. From the moment she had first permitted Shampoo and Ukyo to go down on her and teach her the joys of exploring a woman's body she had known only constant eroticism underlying their more tender moments of quiet talk between all of the foreplay. It made concentrating on their martial arts studies an exercise in torment unending, for as hard as Ukyo tried not to think of sex more Sex seemed to permeate her thinking until she was surely in danger of losing her edge having traded her dark Sith passions for something much wilder, much more out of control, like riding a fierce tiger that was her dawning appetite for carnal pleasure and the joys of mutual gratification.

There was a time when Ukyo would have believed that she could live without sex and romance in her life, a time when she had been convinced that she needed no one but herself and her own resources, but experiments in masturbation had proven quickly that there was a huge difference between fanaticizing about sex and actually doing it with another living person. Sex with Shampoo or Akane could be fun, mysterious, even exciting in ways that could leave her gasping in suspense of impending moment of release, which might be denied her for many agonizing minutes if her partners were feeling unusually playful. Tease and torment her as they would, there were times when Akane and Shampoo could really open up to Ukyo and let their passions flow with an erotic intensity that went far beyond any mere physical sensation. She knew them now as though they had been born her sisters, and yet there was still so much to be revealed, and Ukyo found that she wanted to learn all that she could about her new playmates, for recent convert that she was to the emotions of her own "Light" side, she still retained the memory of many lonely nights wishing that she could find someone to make those nights shine a little bit brighter.

Ukyo had never been able to trust anyone like this before, to be so totally at ease in the company of a companion. It was hard to give up the discipline of years or to ignore the feelings of hurt and betrayal that had driven her into Darth Purge's path in the first place. Lowering the barriers that she had erected to protect herself against getting too close to anyone was something altogether new for her, and yet when she was with Shampoo she found those barriers almost did not exist at all, for Shampoo hardly needed any such walls around her own heart, and she was such a caring and gentle person (when not in an aroused frenzy of sweet passion) beneath her rounded packaging that it surprised Ukyo to note how she responded in kind with hardly any prodding, allowing Shampoo into her presence without more than a token reservation. Not even laying hands on her, or responding in kind to those un-subtle "come-hither" gestures that the Amazon kept tossing her way almost made the sex seem academic, for Shampoo could easily seduce her just by smiling in that alluring sort of way, much as she was doing now as Ukyo stood regarding her companion and losing herself in those ruby eyes of...

"Whenever you feel ready to rejoin us, Kuonji-san," Cologne tersely reminded Ukyo, causing the chef to start as though from a trance, feeling as if minutes had ticked by when, in point of fact, only seconds had elapsed from one heartbeat to the next.

"Ah...right," Ukyo swallowed, "No problem, Old Woman, I'm ready."

"Yes," Cologne remarked dryly, "But ready for what? If you want to reserve a room together, then we could always practice later."

Ukyo felt her cheeks flush from the scolding sarcasm and growled, "I said I was ready NOW. I'm not putting this off for later."

"Is good," Shampoo replied in that softly cooing voice of hers, "Because where it come to Ucchan, this one is always ready."

"H-Huh?" Ukyo blinked, once again caught off-guard by the saucy minx whose very nearness to Ukyo was more than a little distracting. In fact this whole business with the Amazon was making her more and more aware that Ukyo was set to play the "masculine" role in their match against the Golden Pair, Shampoo against the frilly-haired Azusa while Ukyo stood against the womanizing Senzenen, yet where Mikado prided himself on his ability to steal kisses from unsuspecting young women, Ukyo was finding one woman at a time a bit of a handful, and two handfuls if you counted Akane.

The past two days of sleeping alone had also done something rather unexpected to Ukyo that made it much harder for her to resist the not-so-subtle charms of her curvy companions. Up until the previous night two evening ago Ukyo had thought herself merely a passive player in these games of bedroom gymnastics that they both played with each other and Akane (and when all three were together-watch out! They could really shake the rooftops for a block around in all directions). Having been forcibly seduced by both girls in a shower after her near-encounter with a group of oversexed hentai, Ukyo would have sworn that a night alone by herself was just the thing she needed to clear her mind and get over this sense of being used as a sex toy. Having to live in constant dread of being ambushed in the showers or when alone over the past two weeks had made her a bit antsy about spending so much time with both Shampoo and Akane.

Those two were just a little too casual in their affairs, one reason why Ukyo had felt uneasy about their threesomes, and that made it hard to take serious any profession on their part to being serious about a relationship, warning Ukyo that she would be heading into romantic disaster if she genuinely lost her heart to either girl, a fact that Ukyo would once have sworn was impossible since she had been convinced that it was really a man that she was after.

But when the threat of being pounced upon was taken away, Ukyo found herself a little too much aware of how cold it felt to sleep in a bed with nothing warm beside her. Being sandwiched between Akane and Shampoo had actually started to feel comfortable after a while, even if she had to occasionally wrestle with them for her half of the bedsheets. She was also a little too aware now of just how sensitive her body was to the slightest caress or tender display of affection, sensations that being constantly screwed into a state of repetitive orgasm had awoken in her, which in turn threatened her very identity as a thoroughly "hetero" kind of woman. Even dismissing her reactions by conceding that she was really "Bi" did nothing to diminish her awareness of just how good it felt to be in the presence of another woman. The feeling of being in the arms of another girl was...right...nice...entirely natural, not at all weird or forbidden, as she might once have expected. She was a little dubious of what a guy might feel like at her side and supposed it would depend on the guy, but the more she thought on it, the more certain she was that it was a woman she desired beneath the covers.

And Shampoo was a woman, that was beyond any question! A blind man living on another planet could see plainly that the Amazon was as feminine as she was curvaceous and affectionate in all things. Her body was incredibly well toned yet soft to the touch with effective padding that made snuggling up with her a delight to be relished. Men would kill to have a girl such as her in their bed doing things that you did not find in the pages of the Kama Sutra, and yet Shampoo seemed to have taken to her with equal ardor, inspiring in Ukyo the sort of sensations for which she had no real adequate description.

In a lot of ways Ukyo felt the same way towards Akane, though for notably different reasons. Akane was not as well-rounded and curvaceous as the Amazon, but you could be hard pressed to fault her for her feminine qualities, which were all too ready on display at the slightest invitation. Akane was nice in spite of her general raunchiness and irrepressible ways, and she had the means of making Ukyo feel oddly feminine herself without compromising her "manly" act, adding a fierce element to their lovemaking that went along with the softer, more leisurely effort at "fooling around" on their way to an eventual double-  
orgasm. Akane seemed to relish the foreplay even more than she did the eventual outcome, and with her a sexual moment could linger on for what seemed like hours before getting to the moment. Time seemed to just vanish when they were together, and yet Ukyo had only just become aware of it when denied that feeling of prolonged frenzy on the previous two evenings...

A sudden impact against the back of their heels sent both Ukyo and Shampoo tumbling backward against the ice, and with a solid, "WHOOSH!" they found themselves staring up at the ceiling once again, only this time with Cologne standing over them with an inscrutable expression.

"Are you certain that you two are paying attention?" the old woman scoffed, "Because this twice that I have caught you both napping. Distractions in a battle are dangerous, Kuonji-san...and you, Child, shame on you, torturing her like that. You ought to have more shame for your actions...but then again, why start now? Shame certainly is not a quality that you picked up from your mother."

"Hibiichan?" Shampoo blinked with a somewhat confused expression.

"Dammit, Old Woman, I am paying attention...sort of," Ukyo snapped as she sat upright and rubbed the sore spots on her back and shoulders, "You don't have to play so rough..."

"Less grumbling and more concentration," Cologne said coolly, "Either you practice today or you and Shampoo can go off somewhere to work this out of your system. Either way do not waste my time or the value of my lessons."

"I can handle it," Ukyo insisted, managing to get back on her feet on her own power while offering Shampoo a hand without even thinking twice about the gesture, "You just watch me."

"Famous last words," Cologne replied, "Remind me to quote them back at your funeral."

Ukyo just glared at the Amazon Elder, but she also knew that Cologne was entirely right about her inability to concentrate. The problem was that her present company was making that concentration all but impossible, much though she was loath to have to admit it. Being this close to Shampoo while they trained was making her altogether aware of the not-so-subtle changes that had come into Ukyo's life since turning away from her Sith training to discover another way to live than her former desire for vengeance. Into that gaping hole that had been the aching marrow of her soul had come a different kind of feeling altogether, an awareness of her own body that was new and exciting yet frightening at the selfsame instant. Without realizing it she had been leaning upon Akane and Shampoo for a kind of support that she had never found with her former Master or fellow Sith apprentices, like discovering a color you never noticed before, or a sound that was new to your experience. All at once it mattered very much that she was a woman who was intimate with the bodies of other women, and Ukyo wondered if that was what the Amazon had meant all along by her kinky idea of "therapy," to give Ukyo a cause worth living for that did not involve maiming and killing the former object of her misplaced childhood affections...

"Is ready to go?" Shampoo gently asked Ukyo, having noticed the pause in her silence and the curious regard of the cross-dressing chef, which was not all the wary, guarded look of a former Sith, "Spatula girl still want more training, or maybe take up great-grandmother suggestion?"

"Huh?" Ukyo started abruptly, shaken out of her silent meditations as the memory of the present flooded in to remind her of what a scene it would make to follow through on her sudden impulse to take Shampoo right there and then on the ice and forget all about the old woman and her ideas about combat ice skating. She looked away and blushed furiously, astonished at how easily her thoughts could be distracted by the altogether distracting presence of her purple haired companion. It was not like she was **that** much into girls after all, no matter the fact that she had never felt this way around any mere boy of her acquaintance...

"Well then," Cologne noted shrewdly, "If you are through mentally undressing one another during these silent pauses, perhaps now you will be willing to do a few simple figure eights together, followed by a lift and toss with you, Shampoo, performing an aerial pirouette, followed by a catch by Miss Kuonji here. Do you think the two of you are up to something this simple?"

Ukyo steadied herself and said, "Bring it on, old woman...I'm more than ready."

"Just remember where you place hands, Spatula-girl," Shampoo teased softly, "This one no mind you touch her down there, but is very hard to maintain balance."

Despite the fact that she already felt beet-red around the cheeks, that lilting chirrup in Shampoo's voice, coupled by her soft breath against Ukyo's neck, was enough to make her face go absolutely crimson. Ooooh, how the flirt was gonna pay for that one! Ukyo would dream up ways of paying her back just as soon as they were alone together, and screw this resolve to remain alone, aloof and apart while training. Two days of celibacy was enough to make the point that Ukyo needed companionship at night as much as she needed the warmth of a blanket, and as horny as the Amazon was making her feel right now, Ukyo would not rest until she had the other girl screaming out her name at night, with or without the muffling of a pillow.

And the same went double for Akane! Ukyo was more than tired of being the passive player in these shenanigans, it was long since time that she paid the Tomboy back for messing up her life so completely. Before Akane and Shampoo had come along her aims in life had been simple: find Ranma and pay him back for choosing okonomiyaki over her, then prove to Master Purge that she was his worthy successor, then wipe Taro and her rival students off the map in one fell swoop. Tidy and simple...until Akane had come along and treated Ukyo like a human being, even granted her intent was seduction. Akane had taught Ukyo how to care, had made her question everything that she had formerly taken for granted, had even caused Ukyo to open herself up to life and discover what friendship could be like, albeit with a strong sexual component.

You did not forgive a thing like that too lightly, and Ukyo would teach the upstart Tendo a thing or two about seduction. After all, when you mess with the fire you should prepare to be burned, and Ukyo was in the mood to dish out a little payback that was hot and steaming on a silver platter, laced with a heady spice of, "What you sow you reap" in big gold letters. Then she would see if Akane's resolve held true or if she were all talk and no action, and woe betide the younger girl if Ukyo was not satisfied as to her fidelity, or else she would make certain that Akane "punishment" was more than doubled...

But first the old woman had to be satisfied on a very different level, so it was back to the grindstone to hone her body for the coming match a few days hence. She had come far enough to where she hardly wobbled on her skates anymore, and before too long she resolved to make falling on her ass a thing of the past...

Provided she could keep her mind on her job as she had a strong hint that Shampoo's streak of mischief was only just beginning to manifest, which made Ukyo very glad that she was not a boy or she could never have remained upright long enough to perform even the most basic of maneuvers...

Gosunkugi gasped and opened his eyes, surprise written plain in his expression as he turned and looked at the other girl inquiringly, seeing Kasumi's serene features as she regarded him with frank admiration. Even after two days of knowing her he still was disconcerted by the aura of calm that she projected, a sense of otherworldly peace behind intelligent eyes that were probing and yet surprisingly gentle, almost the beatific face of an angel.

"Well now," Kasumi mused, "The Force does indeed flow very strong within you, Gosunkugi-kun. Small wonder you have visions even at your relatively untrained state. I dare say that you could learn much from us, and we could learn a great deal from having you for a fellow student."

"Really?" Gosunkugi asked, surprised at being praised by this heavenly goddess whose voice and manners were altogether soothing to his fragile nerves.

"You serious, Sis?" Nabiki asked off to one side, "You really think Hikaru-kun here is Jedi material?"

"Could take a while to bring him up to par," Ranma mused as he studied the boy whom they had befriended the other day, "Guy needs muscle tone and a whole lot of breathing exercises to channel that Ki of his so he'll look even halfway healthy."

"It goes without saying that you could use some physical conditioning, Gosunkugi-kun," Kasumi smiled at the boy before turning to her sister and their mutual iinazuke, "But training in the Force has many different levels and areas of specialty, and I don't believe that Gosunkugi-kun's best talents would be served by training him to be a fighter. Self defense lessons, yes, but I believe that he could specialize in his talents and become something that I have only heard described by Mistress Trieste as a Jedi Sage...a kind of Force Master who studies the ebb and flow of currents to learn to predict the Force and to channel the flow into variable outcomes."

"Really?" Gosunkugi asked, his mouth hanging open in astonishment at this particular revelation.

"You're kidding, right?" Nabiki said, "Hikaru-kun here could be a Sage or a Force Wizard?"

"Stranger things have been known to happen, Imotochan," Kasumi gave a fond smile to her sister, "And believe me, I have seen many strange things during my travels."

"So there's such a thing as a Jedi Wizard?" Ranma asked with a puzzled expression.

"The Force is more than just a field of energy, Ranma-kun," Nabiki explained, "It's a living thing that binds and links everything in the cosmos. Learning to work with it is a bit like channeling with the Kami, you open your mind to the variable possibilities and then select an outcome, much like you'd do on a computer operating system when pointing and clicking on an icon. The difference here is that it's more like bartering with the force, haggling and coaxing it to behave the way you want it to, altering probabilities and even reshaping physical reality into whatever you desire. It's a hard skill to master and it takes years of intensive focus and training, but if Hikaru-kun here has what it takes to begin training in that field, then he's a rare find indeed, and maybe that's why the Force led us to him in the first place."

"You...you mean this?" Gosunkugi asked, "You can train me to be a Wizard?"

"It's not the same discipline as sorcery or other conventional forms of magic, but...yes," Kasumi replied, "Mistress Trieste will begin training you in the basics. All you need to do for now is to practice the kind of breathing exercises that will help you learn to channel and focus your Chi. Once you learn to tap into the flow of life itself and hold a space within you where it came pool and gather, then you will be ready for other more challenging lessons. That and the physical conditioning that Ranma-kun has recommended."

"I...I don't know what to say," Gosunkugi replied, "I can't pay you for these lessons..."

"Hey, we'll talk what you can do for us another time, Hikaru-kun," Nabiki smiled, "We're not real big about money around here. Well, I kinda-sorta am, but that's 'cause I help pay the bills around here. A real Jedi wouldn't be too concerned, though, since there's other ways that friends can help each other in lieu of payment. For now there's no charge, and I know that Sensei would be insulted if you offered any. It's enough of a prize just to find someone like you, an ally who has natural Force abilities. We can worry about the rest of it much later, after we learn what your real capabilities are like."

In Gosunkugi's experience the words, "We can discuss payment later" always signified trouble, but coming from the middle Tendo sister it sounded like a sincere reassurance that they could work something out that would be to both of their advantage. Besides, the thought of being trained in something that could make his talents useful, a boon rather than a curse, was reason enough for him to want to sign on, even if they made him sign an oath in his own blood at this point. He wanted to learn, and he was willing to do whatever it took to excel in the arts that these people had to offer.

Kasumi nodded as she read the thoughts and clear desire in the younger boy and nodded approvingly. This Gosunkugi Hikaru had been treated rather horribly all of his life, and the marks of long abuse were clearly written upon him, and yet-  
-in spite of everything that he had endured-there was a good man waiting to be discovered already within him, and with a bit of encouragement that boy could be prodded into coming to the surface. He would indeed be a boon for the cause of the Jedi if he could be turned completely away from the Dark side to the Light. Her Mistress would be very pleased in him if Gosunkugi truly did grow up to be a formidable Force Wizard, and the boy did need to feel what kindness was like if he were to be protected from the likes of both the Yakuza and Darth Purge. It was only fitting that he be shown the way and given the chance to work towards his own redemption.

"Gosunkugi-kun," she began gently, "I am going to show you some basic breathing techniques that I want you to practice on your own when you leave this dojo. Please come here after school tomorrow and we will see how much progress you have made in learning to relax and channel energy. Then Mistress Trieste will begin your instructions according to her determination of what is best for you. Are you ready to begin now?"

"Yes, please," Gosunkugi nodded, feeling his excitement level build to where he could barely contain himself.

So Kasumi spoke calmly and evenly, explaining the fundamentals of Breath control to the younger boy, then asking him to practice several times visualizing a ball of light in the air above his head, and how that light was shining down upon him like a miniature star, filling him up with pure white light. She then had him visualize a ball of light pooling in his solar plexus and studied Gosunkugi as he tried to copy her ideas, gently correcting him with soft admonitions when he strayed too far, but gradually getting the results that she was after, at which point she smiled and nodded in complete satisfaction.

"That is very good, Gosunkugi-kun," she complimented, "Now...just keep practicing this on your way home from our dojo, and be here around four or so for your next lesson."

"Thank you," the bow bowed, dropping forward to touch his forehead to the floor, his calmness momentarily replaced with joy and relief as he said, "I am forever in your debt. If you ever need anything from me..."

"Oh, don't worry, Hikaru-kun," Nabiki chimed in helpfully for her sister, "If anything comes up, then we'll know how to find you."

"Have a very good evening and a safe journey to your home, Gosunkugi-kun," Kasumi smiled as she rose to her feet and padded softly to the door of the dojo, waiting to see the younger man outside before sliding the doors shut against the evening breeze just then blowing with the close of sunset.

Nabiki sensed a sudden shift in her sister's mood and said, "What's up, Kasumi? Is something wrong?"

"No," Kasumi smiled a bit shyly, "Anything but. It is just...when I sought you and Ranma-kun out at Doctor Tofu's place the other day...I wasn't in mind to pick up yet another student for our dojo. Strange how the ways of the Force can shape our destiny..."

"Um...yeah?" Ranma asked nervously, also sensing a curious difference in the attitude of the older of his two iinazuke.

Kasumi padded on bare feet back to the center of the room then turned to regard her sister and iinazuke, her smile a bit more shy and hesitant than was her usual demure wont, but her eyes shone warmly with affection on them both as she took a deep breath to steady her own nerves, gathering up her strength and courage to go through with the thing that she and her elders had already discussed together.

"Ranma-kun," the older girl began, "There are many different kinds of training in the ways of the Force, as you have just seen with Gosunkugi-kun. Only...there is an area of training that Mistress Trieste and my mother thought the both of us could profit by...and you, too, Imotochan. That is why I asked you to come meet with me here within our dojo."

"What's up, Sis?" Nabiki asked in clear surprise, sensing an unusual rise in emotional activity in the usually serene Kasumi.

"Nabiki...Ranma-kun," Kasumi gently nodded and waved to the center of the room, "Come sit with me in a circle. We have...something to discuss that concerns us all, and we all need to be relaxed and at ease before we begin the ritual. I trust neither of you has any objections?"

Both Ranma and Nabiki blinked in perfect synchronization, then both glanced at the other before shrugging, and then they got up and sat themselves down on the floor facing Kasumi in a rude triangle-like manner. Kasumi settled in then reached out her hands and took Nabiki by her right hand, Ranma by her left, which encouraged Ranma and Nabiki to hold hands together, completing a circuit as they all were positioned surprisingly close together.

Kasumi took a deep breath and closed her eyes, imagining a circle of light stretching out to surround and protect her loved ones, thus sealing them off from outside intrusion. She knew her father was out drinking with uncle Genma, and Aunt Nodoka was cleaning house back at the Saotome place. Trieste and Kimiko were with Akane at the Kuno mansion...best not to think too hard there. And as for the old man...well...Kasumi did not sense him anywhere about, which meant that the perv-ah-ancient Grand Master of the Anything Goes school was about and about his usual rounds causing trouble for others.

This meant that they would not be disturbed for hours, which was good since what Kasumi had in mind would require many hours to complete, especially if she performed the ritual exactly the same way that she had used when she initiated Shampoo into the Jedi arts...with-hopefully-a very similar outcome...

She let her thoughts drift away from her like bubbles of water floating to the surface of a large fish tank, then imagined herself as the fish swimming within the confines of the absolute stillness that surrounded and supported her. She then became aware of the two other fish sharing the space nearby her and smiled the more deeply, opening her thoughts to the both of them so that the need for words was obliterated altogether.

**Welcome, Sister Dear and Ranma-kun,** she began, **Welcome to the circle of light that is ever unbroken. Join with me now and let us gather our energies and share them together...**

**Huh?** Ranma mentally asked.

**She means let it go and go with the flow, Ranma-kun,** Nabiki affectionately answered, **It'll come to you naturally enough in a couple of minutes.**

**That includes you, little sister,** Kasumi projected with mild amusement in her tone and expression, **This is not our usual session of thought projection and reception...here we must lower our barriers completely, which is why I have effected a Siege Perilous protective ward around this area of the dojo. Here we must let down our guards and our pretense of who and what we are before our own eyes and each other in order to see the true and essential person lurking beneath all surface projections. For you this may be especially hard, but for Ranma-kun...**

**Huh?** Ranma mentally asked, his thoughts mirroring Nabiki's own unspoken exclamation that was also partly a question.

**All of our barriers?** Nabiki asked, feeling slightly trapped and confined as she sensed the sincerity of her sister's declaration.

**All of them,** Kasumi replied with a gentle smile, her tone firm and level, **If we are to become a family unit and share who we are, grow as close as we wish to be, then we must allow nothing to come between us. The purpose of the Siege Perilous is to provide a save enclosure where we may reaffirm our acquaintance with one another, little sister, and to get to know Ranma-kun better. We cannot do this if we hide any part of ourselves. We must lower our defenses and expose our true being so that each of us may know and appreciate our individual make-up.**

Nabiki shied away from this, feeling the dread of what Kasumi was implying. Another time, in the real world, and she would have covered her apprehension and fear behind a mask of stoicism and indifference, using well-honed reflexes to permit sarcasm and cynicism to deflect attention away from her insecurities. On the astral plane, however, emotions were more real words and thoughts could not be so easily hidden as her entire being tended to reflect and express her moods to the notice of the others. She could sense Ranma's emotions, for example, and the shimmering vibrancy manifested by her older sister.

**I...I will try, Oneechan,** Nabiki allowed, then winced slightly before correcting herself, **I mean...I'll do what I can, if the same thing holds true for Ranma-kun.**

**Huh?"** Ranma asked with a deeply troubled expression.

**That is as it should be,** Kasumi nodded before continuing, **We must learn to accept one another with all our faults and failings while balancing our strengths and virtues. For example...Ranma-kun, you have spent your whole lifetime learning to protect your ego from direct challenge by the baiting and switching tactics of your father, but here you can let go of this habit and express yourself without hesitation or restraint. You can be the sort of person whom you have always wished yourself to be and let us into your world to know the real you, just as you can get to know the both of us without fearing the consequences.**

**Uh...I dunno, Kasumi,** Ranma replied, his aura becoming somewhat vaguer, more indistinct, as if clutching to the walls around his emotions with more intensity than ever, "What you're asking...it's kind of a lot...**

To his surprise the older girl reached out a pale etheric hand to take his between her finger, the contact allowing him to open up to her on a level of which he had never previously be aware with any other living person.

**I know that this must be hard for you,** the willowy Jedi apprentice entreated, her aura bright with desire and longing, **But please...trust us. In your heart you must know that neither Nabiki nor I would ever betray your confidence, nor would we do anything else that make potentially hurt you.**

**I know that, Kasumi," Ranma mentally replied, **But...it's hard...**

Nabiki felt the hurt within him as surprise and worry warred within him with desire and a tentative kind of hope. There was no overt eroticism in their iinazuke's regard of them both, though the presence of two young and beautiful young ladies were awakening within him a growing sense of his own isolation and a feeling of need for which he had no words to describe, which were definitely the kind that begged for nurturing and attention.

But then she felt Kasumi respond in kind, which surprised Nabiki greatly, for though she could easily identify a need to be nurturing and maternal in her older sister, the sort of erotic sensations that Kasumi manifested were entirely those of a young woman who was desperately in need of companionship and who yearned to reach out to the objects of her affection. On the one hand there was the obvious feeling of intense, almost physical attraction towards the masculinity that was Ranma...yet rivaling this was a different sense of erotic desire and emotional yearning that had Nabiki as its focus. What surprised Nabiki most of all, however, was a companion sense of similar yearning and need that she found awaken within herself, as if she yearned to hug Ranma tightly to her breasts while at the same time wanting to climb into the lap of her older sister and cuddle up like an affectionate kitten.

The reference to kitten triggered a faint sense of aversion within Ranma, but this only increased his desire to be held and to find solace with another as his aura literally polarized to match his emotional template. A part of her wanted to draw away, to maintain her safe distance, but a stronger part of her yearned to reach out to him, to obliterate the boundaries that separated them in the present so that she could give to him the solace he so desperately needed, sensing her own loneliness and isolation crumbling as she tried to hold on to her identity and not lose herself in the wash of these curious sensations.

**You see how it is?** Kasumi asked gently, her mental words intruding over the flow of these non-verbalized emotions, **This is the power of the Siege unveiled, stripping bare all pretense and illusion to reveal that which is normally hidden, allowing us to know the unspoken thoughts that we each are sharing.**

**Weird,** Ranma exclaimed with a raw sense of need being exposed behind his normal shell of independence.

**I hear you there, Ranma-kun,** Nabiki acknowledged with as much pretence as she could put on the charade of her nominally aloof stoicism.

**Now you both know the truth on what we are feeling,** Kasumi smiled, though her lips were not really moving in accordance with the words she was projecting, **Ranma-kun, you have wanted for companionship your entire life, whether friendship or any other sort of attachment that you have been afraid of acknowledging lest you be thought unmanly. But now you know that Nabiki and I will not judge or condemn you for having such a need. We are your friends...and we both wish to be so much more than mere friends with you, if you will permit it.**

**Ah...I guess...maybe a little...** Ranma grudgingly conceded.

**And you, little sister,** Kasumi turned a wry complex of emotions towards Nabiki, both chiding and affectionate, **You have as much to learn about sharing your own feelings. It is one thing to ask others to accept us as the persons whom we present ourselves to be, but it is quite another to let the real you shine forth so that Ranma-kun and I may know you as a person. And in truth, I am very curious to know the sort of young woman that you have grown to be, Imotochan. Two years separation was much too long this last time. I want to erase whatever distance has grown up between us, to know the real you and to have you know the real me, which is why we will conduct this on the plane of the spirit, where dissemblance and evasion are all but impossible as thought is reality and flesh a mere illusion...**

Ranma felt as though the room around them had just shifted around them in some subtle sort of way, for one moment it was dark and unlit with only the fading shadows of twilight settling over everything, but then it felt as though a cool wind passed through his spine, and suddenly everything was different, their surroundings bathed in a soft pale bluish grey while his companions were bathed in light and shone from within as though illuminated from an inward souse. He also noticed a peculiar lightness to his own body and marveled that his thought processes seemed much clearer and far more fluid in this state. As he regarded Kasumi and Nabiki he noticed that the short haired Tendo sister had a faintly gold corona to her aura, while Kasumi's aura was bathed in a lavender hue, very soothing to the eye and reassuring to the spirit.

**Now we are as one upon the plane of the spirit,** Kasumi projected calmly, **Cast aside all mundane concerns and focus only upon the here and the now. Feel the warmth that flows between the Force and us that is a part of everything. Do you feel the light of the Monad that glows so brightly within us, my dear sister and iinazuke?**

**I-I feel it,** Nabiki marveled as she glanced around and seemed to shimmer more brightly, almost becoming translucent, **The Force is so much stronger on this level...is this the Astral Plane that Sensei speaks about so often?**

**We are indeed residing upon the third level of being,** Kasumi replied, **Unmanifest creation, the Sea of Light that exists all around us yet is unseen upon the plane of mortality. Here form and matter have no meaning, only thought exists, and the bodies you see projected are our own constructions put up by our egos to sustain our grasp of such trivial concerns as form and dimension. The human mind is not wired to perceive beyond the depths of four dimensions, Imotochan, yet here in the Third Dimension we have space without limit, form without time, endless eternity itself, the realm of the Mind and Emotions that harness the plane of matter to shape according to our perceptions.**

**Ah...I don't get all that,** Ranma confessed as he glanced all around at the eerie space all around them, feeling as though he were on the bottom of a vast ocean but had no need to breathe the air, the spiritual energies themselves sustaining him as he felt his Chi flow strongly throughout what his mind still interpreted to be his body, **But this place...it's...kinda nice...**

**This is the realm all minds return to when we outside of our bodies, Ranma-  
kun,** Nabiki informed him, **When we dream it is here that our spirits go to experience the wonders of out own thought creations. Our minds need routinely to unravel the collected data and information that we accumulate in an average day, and by the seemingly random process of visualization that we call dreaming we are able to sort through our days events and arrive at previously unknown resolutions. This is also the realm that we tap into whenever we make use of the Force. It exists parallel to the universe we know, but its essential nature is unfinished, lacking the element of time that causes the limitations of matter that we know of in the solid world of flesh.**

**Form without Form,** Nabiki reflected in realization, **Space without Time, spirit without flesh, and all things are illusions projected and perceived by the mind and the spirit.**

**Very good, Imotochan,** Kasumi fairly glowed with pleasure, **In truth there is only the soul that exists. Matter does not truly exist, it is but an illusion of time and space, the creation of a vast universal projection that we call reality for lack of a better understanding. In the Hindu culture they call the universe we know the Dream of Bhraman...in Middle Eastern Cabalism there is the story of the Great Souled Man, Adam Kadmon. In both systems the universe is seen as the creation of the mind of a God whose imagination is quite literally limitless, and in our finite lives we are but mere expressions of that singular being, his children by connection to the single spark that we share in all of us. To the Jedi the belief is somewhat simpler in structure but infinitely more complex. Life creates itself...and the Universe we know is the collective projection of trillions of thoughts by luminous beings who dream as we do of the world that we actually live within...**

**Ah...you've just lost me,** Ranma reluctantly conceded.

**Don't worry about it, Ranma-kun,** Nabiki smiled back, finding that their iinazuke was rather cute when he became this clueless, **It takes time to get a handle on this stuff, especially if you haven't had any formal training in Five-  
dimensional theory. Actually, the simplest way of describing it would be to imagine a perfect square, like this...** she held up her hands and a form took shape within this space, a cube of solid light that hovered softly between her hands as though she were some sort of living projector.

**Whoah,** Ranma thought aloud, leaning closer to marvel at the hovering object, which was no more than two decameters in length on any side (approximately eight inches), "How are you doing that?**

**Imagination and will,** Nabiki answered, enjoying showing off for the benefit of their fianc e, **As Oneechan just explained, nothing is real here except what we imagine to be real, so you can create objects here that look and feel solid, but they're just props in a stage show. Now, watch what happens when I warp a cube into a sphere.**

Ranma did indeed watch as the projected cube suddenly shifted and flowed before his eyes, one side collapsing inward until the four corners touched each other while the opposite side expanded outward and formed a balloon-like outer skin, the other walls bending with the flow until the object was totally inverted, and then a hovering ball took up the space that the cube had previously occupied.

**Warping the cube,** Nabiki grinned, **About the simplest topographical equation there is in 4-D mathematics.**

**Very good, Nabiki,** Kasumi nodded with approval, **You have just illustrated the difference between Three and Four dimensional space. You see, Ranma-kun? One shape flows into the other by simply expanding the dimensions. Length, width and volume gain the extra dimension of time, and energy thus is transformed into matter, for the sphere is the universal shape of our dimension. All particle physics arises from this one simple equation, and the energy of the spirit becomes translated as flesh, which is how our bodies are formed, by projecting our mental and spiritual images into finite reality.**

**Yeah,** Nabiki noted, **But when you lock things up in flesh you also take on limitations, which is why matter doesn't like to stay in one finite form for all eternity but breaks down into entropy, which is why even Jedi can grow old and die, albeit at a slower rate than for most persons.**

**I think I'm starting to get it...sort of,** Ranma mused, **If we're really just energy that's shaped like solid stuff, then if we control our energy we can affect our bodies, right?**

**Congratulations, Ranma-kun,** Kasumi beamed, **You've just graduated to the next level of understanding.**

**Yeah, but if you think warping the cube is something then you ought to try this,** Nabiki grinned, holding up her hands again as the sphere she was projecting hovered in the space above her hands for another moment, then the middle Tendo sister concentrated and something happened to the sphere, a dimpling became an inward collapse until a whole opened up in the middle of the sphere to form a hovering donut-shaped projection.

**Behold the Torus,** Nabiki grinned, **The Fifth Dimension in a nutshell, otherwise known as the Eye of God, or the Wormhole effect simplified to its easiest level.**

**I believe that may be going a bit too fast for Ranma-kun to absorb, Imotochan,** Kasumi gently chided.

**Naw, he's quick enough to pick this up, aren't you Ranma-kun?** Nabiki gave him the sort of smile that tended to cause Ranma's sense of orientation to fly out the window, though he managed to regain his bearings a second later, **In simplest terms, warping 4-D space yields a tunneling effect that bridges time and distance so that you can instantaneously travel from one point to the other. Of course an actual naturally occurring wormhole is small, so small that you can't hope to perceive it with the naked eye. Wormholes flash into existence in the space between particles in what Scientists call the spongy Space Foam that exists between matter. Effectively these micro-wormholes help keep all points in the universe connected together by a singularity or event horizon that they call Superstring theory. What this means is that there is a vast wealth of untapped energy flowing all around us at all points of the compass, and every square centimeter of space contains literally trillions of these mini-holes that are constantly flashing in and out of existence. To create a larger grouping of these holes requires lots and lots of energy and concentration, but by focusing your Ki on a single point you can tap into this foam-like energy and create a magnifying lens that greatly expands your own natural power. Theoretically your own thoughts could get turned into a weapon...**

**But we Jedi frown on using the power in that particular manner,** Kasumi gently chided, **Because there is a reaction to every action, and if you strike offensively using the Force it will tend to rebound back and affect you, like for like, intent for intention. This is the essential difference that separates us from the Sith, that we are concerned about the consequences of our actions, while they...are not.**

**Right,** Nabiki acknowledged, **So mostly what we do with the Eye effect is mainly a subconscious effect, like viewing reality through a lens in which time and space become visible, and you could conceivably see events before they happen, or in the past, or at a great distance, all as though it were taking place right before you. It takes a lot of practice to get good with these things, though, but we-Kasumi and I, that is-strongly suspect that Gosunkugi has a natural ability to create singularity-shaped spiritual wormholes. If he has the power to use the Eye...**

**Then he has great potential to do both good and bad things with this ability,** Kasumi noted rather gravely, **So now do you see why we are so interested in taking him on as a student?**

**Um...kind of,** Ranma sheepishly noted, only to pause before saying, **Ah...does the same thing apply to me? I mean...is that why Sensei wants to take me on and train me to be like you guys?**

Somehow Ranma could feel and actually see the emotions of his two lady companions as they were glowing with surprise and approval, Nabiki adding a soft, **What did I tell you, Sis? He can be taught...**

**Yes, Ranma-kun,** Kasumi smiled at him in a way that would have made his heart lurch in his chest had he still been inside his physical body, **Mistress Trieste sensed within you a power so strong that to leave it unharnessed might have made you a danger to yourself as well as to other living beings. Ungoverned by anything but your anger and your pride this power could have been corrupted to the Dark side, but with us...you have the capacity to be an extraordinarily powerful Jedi.**

**Yeah,** Nabiki agreed with equal enthusiasm, **To say nothing about it being a crime to let you stumble around head-blind and ignorant to your own potential.**

**That is why we were entrusted to help train you in the ways of the Force, Ranma-kun,** Kasumi noted with her emotions reading out to him like a warm and comforting blanket, **But there is more involved to our being with you than simply training you in a new style of martial art. You have another sort of power within you that you remain untrained in using, yet you wield it so effortlessly that Nabiki and I are powerless within its presence.**

**Oneechan?** Nabiki asked with a faintly puzzled expression.

**Let us return now to the physical world and I shall explain,** Kasumi replied enigmatically, closing her eyes for a moment as the room around them began to shift and settle once again, and Ranma became aware of a curious tingling sensation that flowed all over his body, leaving him faintly with the sense of pins and needles over his arms and legs that lasted no more than a few seconds.

To his surprise their surroundings darkened once again, leaving only a faint wisp of a sense of the ghostly light that they had all been bathed in, which now seemed to settle upon Kasumi, who still glowed with an inner radiance as she smiled at Ranma and Nabiki with more than just her usual benevolent expression.

"Forgive me," she spoke aloud, "I know that you are not yet accustomed to doing that on your own, nor are you used to traveling the planes the way that Sensei has taught me through the Siege Perilous. I hope you will get used to it in good time, but at your level of understanding it would not be wise to dwell upon the Astral plane for more than a few minutes outside of your own bodies."

"That was...kind of weird," Nabiki admitted, "But nice, right Ranma-kun?"

"Oh yeah," Ranma agreed before blinking and saying, "Outside of our bodies?"

"Yes," Kasumi replied, "But one good thing about Astral travel...it leaves you with an awareness of the spiritual nature of reality that tends to linger for a time, reminding us that we are not all about the crude flesh of our bodies. What we are is luminous beings who incarnate into flesh and become distinctly separate individuals because of our experience within this plane of being. That being said, one should never ignore that the body has certain needs, as does the spirit..."

"Yeah, you can say that again," Nabiki chuckled nervously, "Or else you might wander out into the streets and find your Karma being run over by somebody's dogma when you can't disbelieve the solid object about to hit you."

"Crudely put but accurate," Kasumi noted, "However...the sort of physical aspect to our being that I wished to explore with you both has to do with another level of awareness that is very much of the here and now, and with our spirits newly attuned to one another, there is no compromise or separation between the flesh and the body."

"Huh?" Ranma asked, a sentiment inaudibly shared by Nabiki.

In response to this Kasumi reached for her obi and slowly undid the knot, pulling it away and setting it to one side before she reached for the top half of her kimono and gently pulled it open, revealing the upper part of her body to their full inspection.

Even Nabiki gasped at this, finding that Kasumi was not even wearing a bra, which was shocking to her way of viewing things since Nabiki defined her reality upon the inherent propriety and properness of her older sibling. Ranma was even more dumbstruck as Kasumi set her kimono upon the floor, unfolding the bottom half to reveal the rest of her slim form to their inspection, sitting nude and cross-legged as though it were the most natural thing in existence.

"Your turn, Imotochan," Kasumi smiled as she glanced affectionately at an open-  
mouthed Nabiki.

"Hah?" Nabiki asked, no less surprised at that statement than was Ranma.

"It is time to let the barriers fall completely," Kasumi explained, "Time to stand revealed before Ranma-kun and let him know the true nature of his iinazuke. Don't be shy, Nabiki, I know you're not really that modest underneath it all..."

"Yes I am," Nabiki's voice quavered a bit before she managed to reassert enough self-control to say, "Ah...I don't think this is really the time or place for this, Oneechan..."

"No, Imotochan," Kasumi assured her, "This is exactly the right time and the right place to reveal ourselves in the altogether. The Siege Perilous is also a barrier that keeps the outside world at bay, and while it is in effect no one will be disturbing us, not even the Sith. It can only last a few hours, though, so we had best make use of the time now if we are to truly grow closer together as unit. One flesh, one mind, one spirit...that is what I am offering here if you but accept my challenge and let down your barriers for the full final measure."

"Hah?" Ranma sat there like a deer literally caught in the headlights, staring at Kasumi like he had never seen a naked woman before (with the exception, of course, of his own cursed body), and so sensitive were the other two girls to his moods right now that they were immediately aware of his masculine response to the sight of a naked Kasumi.

"Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked, surprised that she could feel him hardening beneath the covering of his trousers. Nor did she have any difficulty understanding why as she was experiencing a similar level of excitement for some strange, inexplicable reason, her eyes drawn to her sister as a loadstone would be to a bar magnet.

"In times long past the Jedi sought to inure themselves to the needs of the body," Kasumi explained in that same curiously amused tone of affection, "But Mistress Trieste taught me a better way to live, one where you accept yourself for who and what you are while attending to all your needs for food, rest, thirst and hunger. Sex is also a need, one you can ignore or indulge as you judge the moment to be right. I propose to teach you both how to fulfill this need by showing you how to let go of your inhibitions and to indulge in those sensations normally forbidden to us, to satisfy a hunger so that the needs of the body are fulfilled and the needs of the spirit may also be similarly answered."

"How is taking our clothes off gonna do that?" Ranma asked with astonishing naivete, and while normally Nabiki would have found his ignorance amusing, this time around she was anything but laughing.

"Oneechan?" Nabiki asked, "You're not seriously proposing that we...?"

"I have never been more serious about anything in my life, Nabiki," Kasumi assured her, "For weeks we have been leading up to this moment, now the time is ripe to give in to the moment, to trust your feelings and act in accordance with those desires that we all share yet have been unable to express due to the continuous crisis that we have been experiencing. It is time for us to enlighten poor Ranma-kun as to what being engaged to the both of us truly means, and that means surrendering our barriers in favor of acting like human beings who very much care for one another, without reservation and in the spirit of our mutual ardor."

"Now hold on a moment there, Kasumi," Nabiki gently pleaded, "Who's saying we're really ready for this? I mean...maybe you are, but..."

"Are you saying then that you do not want to remain engaged to both Ranma-kun and me?" Kasumi gently asked with a teasing smile, "If so, then I will be only too happy to take him for my future husband..."

Nabiki recoiled from this then frowned, "That isn't even funny!"

"No, you are right," Kasumi's tone became more supplicating, "I would never force you to surrender your claims, Imotochan. I love you too much to want to see you in such pain, nor do I wish to feel rejection for my petition now. I only ask that trust me completely and join with me in presenting ourselves to Ranma so that the three of us can truly become a family...or am I asking too much of you? If so, then now is the time to find out if our dual engagement can work out as a viable arrangement."

"Hah?" Ranma blinked, his expression making plain that he only half-understood the gist of this conversation, but sensing intuitively that he was about to find out its meaning through a very graphic demonstration.

"That's dirty pool, Sis," Nabiki frowned, "Are you daring me to go naked?"

"That is entirely up to you, Imotochan," Kasumi said sweetly, "But I, for one, would very much like to share him with you, and it would disappoint me greatly if you were to refuse my offer...and since this is for his benefit..."

"Oh yeah?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow as she glanced at Ranma, "Like...how?"

"Play along with me and you'll see, little Sister," Kasumi softly chuckled.

Nabiki drew a deep breath and said, "I must be nuts going along with this, but...all right, you asked for it. Ranma-kun, don't you dare look away right now! I saw you gawking at Kasumi...well, now you'll see what you get with the group package."

Ranma had been feeling the strong impulse to get up and flee from the scene lest somebody get the idea that he was perverted in some way or had unnatural instincts. Fear warred with curiosity, though, and held him rooted to the spot as he watched Nabiki fumble a bit with the sash around her own waist, then with less grace than Kasumi had demonstrated she started to pull off her travel robes and casually tossed them to one side, getting up off the floor so that she could pull off the slacks that she wore under her outer garments. Then she stood revealed in bra and panties, causing Ranma's eyes to go as round as dinner plates as he watched her reach up for the back hooks on her bra, and a moment later it, too, fell to the floor, leaving the middle Tendo sister revealed in her full glory with only her panties still in place.

"The panties too, Nabiki," Kasumi gently urged, "Ranma-kun must see us both as we are without any physical obstruction."

Nabiki shivered slightly as she grimaced, "Does that mean Ranma-kun also has to show some flesh, just to be fair about it?"

"Hah?" Ranma responded, his mind still in full tilt mode as he stared unabashedly at Nabiki's slender body with it's gentle curves and interesting highlights, unconsciously comparing her to the even more well-rounded Kasumi.

"You raise a very good point," Kasumi turned and gave Ranma a faintly challenging look, "Ranma-kun, this applies to you as well. Please remove your clothing so that we can conduct this lesson in the proper state, removed from all inhibitions."

"Hah?" Ranma said again, no less surprised and just as petrified where he was sitting.

Nabiki started to cover her breasts before checking the impulse and willing her hands to go down to her sides. She arched her back and thrust her well-rounded bosom as if daring him to look away from what she had to offer, then adding a bit of irritation to her own tones she said, "Just take them off, Dummy. You want Kasumi and me to be the only ones naked?"

"Hah?" Ranma said again before her tone jarred him out of his daze, "Uh...y'sure it's all right? I mean...I dunno...don't wanna do nothing weird or perverted or nothing..."

"It's all right, Ranma-kun," Kasumi reassured him, "Nabiki and I know that we'll be safe with you, and you are our iinazuke. Even father would find nothing improper about that."

"You sure about that, Sis?" Nabiki asked dubiously, imagining their father standing with a heavy club and insisting they get immediately married to one another.

In answer Kasumi gave Ranma a very heartfelt expression, allowing her whole being to manifest her emotional state as she willed her own barriers to fall completely, leaving bare her emotional state so that even Nabiki felt drawn to the warmth and aching need that she felt embodied in her older sister.

"Please, Ranma-kin?" she asked, "Trust us. In your heart you know that neither Nabiki nor I would ever do anything to betray your trust. This circle is about healing, and if you cannot trust your own iinazuke..."

Ranma wavered, seeing and feeling the full impact of Kasumi's earnest yearnings and experiencing the strange mix of emotions that they awoke in him, for fearful and protective. As dense as he might appear at time he was truly more perceptive than most people took him to be, his ignorance about people having been conditioned by years of isolation and alienation. He did not trust that easily, at least down deep where it truly counted, but neither did he overtly distrust other people, being outwardly a very casual and easy-going individual who did not overtly seek confrontation, but who never backed away from a challenge when it was given to him, as it so plainly was now, if in a wholly unexpected arena. Letting anyone in past the barriers he had erected to protect himself from continuous disappointment in life was not an easy habit to acquire...but now he realized in stark terms how absurd his defensiveness must seem in light of the fact that both of these women could read him like a unrolled scroll. Just as he could read their emotions, so too did they perceive the secrets that he kept so closely guarded that even he was not aware of their true nature.

And that discovery caused something new and unexpected for him, a tightness in his chest that he released like a breath held too long, and a pressure behind his eyes that made him wonder if he were about to explode in some strange manner. Without warning he felt moisture trickle down his cheeks and felt his face with a hand, staring in wonder at their inexplicable wetness. A part of him wanted to cry out, "NO WAY! Guys don't cry!" his usual defense against such moments of weakness, but even as the thought flowed into his mind it was instantly met by a double denial, a mental cry from both women that he not hold back his feelings or decry his own tears. Ranma looked at where they both sat quietly and suddenly knew something about himself that he would never have believed right up until this moment.

Kasumi and Nabiki felt it after their mutual petition that Ranma not hold back the tears that he had so long been withholding, an emotion awakened within their iinazuke that fairly took their breath away, a hot and blazing sensation that stretched out to them like the emanating ripples of a pond, an almost physical force that surprised even Kasumi, for as much as she had dared to believe that Ranma regarded her with strong affection, she had never dared to hope that his yearning was this powerful and unmistakable, a realization that matched the astonishment felt by Nabiki.

Love.

All of his life Ranma had craved the sensation of being this close to another living being, his earliest buried memories being that of the love, affection and tenderness that he experienced in the arms of his mother, a sensation ripped away from him when he went on his ill-starred training mission with his father, whom he loved for entirely different reasons. Over the years that love had been battered, abused and betrayed so many time over that it was hard to recognize as love anymore, both men having learned to guard their emotions behind the not-so-  
friendly banter that they exchanged at regular intervals, a "Men will be Men" attitude having smothered any tenderness behind a blanket of stoical indifference. Insults meant less to Ranma than they would to a normal person UNLESS they directly challenge his competence or his manhood, and so he could toss off insults with callous ease and never realize the impact that such words might have upon others...

And yet this habit had been severely weakened from the time he spent among the Amazons, from the first moment he met Shampoo and fought her to a draw, the both of them becoming fast friends and later oath-bound siblings, a time in which Ranma found delight in being around someone who shared his enthusiasm for the martial arts. Of course, as he had rapidly discovered, Shampoo also had a passion for spending time around other women, and she was in something of a "committed relationship" with her oath sisters, Lotion and Perfume, but Ranma had quickly learned that it was not too wise to allow his guard to go down when in female form around the Amazon. Shampoo could be a little too friendly with those hands of hers, and Ranma was uncertain of what this might have led to had his father not taken him away in the dead of the night one evening, not even allowing him the chance to explain or say good-bye to the friends (or the enemies) that he had made among the Joketsuzoku.

But then came his arrival in Nerima...and nothing had ever been the same for him since he had spent almost every waking hour in the presence of one or more of the Tendo siblings, and only with Akane had he ever felt recourse to insult. To this day it still surprised him how badly Akane reacted to his gentle teasing and off-colored comments, taking things entirely too personal as though she bore a grudge against him for that mistake in the bath. He could not relate to her mercurial bouts of anger or the way she could react to little things that did not seem all that important to his way of thinking.

Not so with the other sisters. With Nabiki his early attempts at banter had been met with clever witticism and repost that had left him shaking his head in wonder and confusion. Since then he had been afraid to match wits with her for fear of winding up sounding silly, but over time there was less and less reason to insult or offend her as he grew to respect and feel strong attraction towards the older girl. Her intelligence both impressed and intimidated him at times, and yet he found her subtle charms relaxed any resentment that might have resulted in feeling inferior towards a "mere girl," especially since Nabiki was nearly his equal as a fighter, which gave them something they could both relate to, and from there he had learned to enjoy her company in terms quite unexpected...

With Kasumi it had been a different process that had drawn him towards her, almost like a gradually unfolding flower where the first thing you see is the bud on the outside, but the longer you look the more it expands to reveal the marvelous interior. Kasumi had at once appealed to the maternal side of him, and yet coupled with this was a dawning awareness that she was also a very young and extremely attractive young woman only a few years his senior. Tall, willowy, graceful, serene and yet somehow very lonely and almost melancholy, wise beyond her tender years and simultaneously quite innocent, she embodied the mystery of womanhood within the enigma of an indomitable fighter. From the moment he had first sparred with Kasumi he had learned a different kind of respect for her combat skills, but also for the calm methodical way in which she could go all out without seeming to try, fighting without the sort of adrenal-  
rage that Ranma sometimes employed to win his battles. To even think about insulting her had gone right out the window from the moment of their first meeting.

Contrary to what some might have expected, the fact that Kasumi had proved to be a superior fighter did not initially offend or bruise Ranma's ego. If anything it intrigued him that someone so beautiful and gentle-mannered could be so devastating in battle, and as he was used to meeting powerful martial artists on the road and learning by training to defeat them, so nothing fired his blood quite like a challenge to be mastered, one that would force him to push beyond the envelope of his current limits. About the only thing that would have turned him off was if she were the sort who liked to rub it in all the time and flaunt her superiority in his face, then he would have taken great delight in knocking her down a peg at every opportunity, with little or not regard taken towards her actual feelings...

And yet instead...he had found himself gravitating to her as something more than just a sparring partner and more advanced student. The more time he got to know Kasumi as a person, the more he had been drawn to her light, to the goodness of her compassionate nature and the warmth he felt behind the mask of serenity she so often wore. He was drawn to her like a moth to a candle, and in time he came to truly care about her in ways that were as strong as what he felt for Nabiki. Kasumi was still a mystery to be unraveled, but the more he discovered about her the more he wanted to know, to share, to relate to her on a level beyond mere friendship. Just being next to her was a distraction, and now he knew the cause behind his quiet obsession, his desire for her the equal to his admiration.

That both women clearly returned his affections was in itself surprising, to bask in the knowledge that they were emoting towards him with the burning sense of a kindled fire made him dare to hope that his long suffering in isolation might at last be at an end. Memories flowed through him of how each girl had taken injury in his cause, and how much it had affected him to see them hurt on his behalf. That made it easy to let go of his remaining barriers, to allow the love he felt inside shine out like a blazing torch that could never be extinguished.

Aloud what he said was, "Nabiki...Kasumi..." and those names alone conveyed a wealth of unspoken emotions that he dared not utter lest he lose his composure entirely and revert to the child that lay within him, the one who still yearned for the comforting breast of his mother.

"Ranma-kun," they both answered, when all at once Kasumi took the initiative, surprising Nabiki by moving forward on hands and knees, leaning her body in close to where her face was only inches away from his, freezing Ranma in his place as he was held fixated by the pull of her brown eyes softly regarding him with deep, unbridled affection.

"Ranma-kun," she said, "Please allow me to do the honors."

"Hah?" Nabiki asked faintly, surprised that it was Kasumi of all persons who had said this.

"Um...well..." Ranma began when all of a sudden Kasumi moved forward on all fours, leaning up closer to him to make Ranma altogether aware of the warm proximity of her well-curved body, all the while leaning back himself so that she was virtually straddling him, looking up into doe-soft eyes as she gazed down with a forthrightness that was unlike her usual shy demeanor.

"You don't need to be afraid around us, Ranma-kun," Kasumi cooed softly, reaching up to undo the wooden buttons to his shirt, "I assure you that I won't bite, and neither does Nabiki."

"B-B-But...?" Ranma sputtered as his top was pealed open, prompting him to fall back onto his elbows, "K-K-Kasumi...?"

"Oneechan?" Nabiki blinked, amazed to see her sister becoming this bold and aggressive with their mutual boyfriend, even as she could feel the waves of desire affecting her on other levels, causing her to shiver as she sat to one side watching matters unfold, unable to look away for her own perverse fascination.

"Relax, Ranma-kun," Kasumi smiled as she undid the rope-knot around his waist and started pulling down his trousers, "This is as much for your benefit as it is for ours..."

Instead of resist or push her away, as he might have done under other circumstances, Ranma stared with rounded eyes as the older girl denuded him with slow-yet-methodical thoroughness, even removing his boxer briefs to allow a flag-pole kept long hidden to rise up to full attention. For a moment Kasumi stared in wonder at his manhood, and then she licked her lips as if in eager anticipation.

"Kasumi...what's gotten into you, Oneechan?" Nabiki asked, finally unable to contain her astonishment at such a transformation in character from the normally shy and reserved Kasumi.

"Gotten into me?" Kasumi paused in the act lowering her face down Ranma's loins, then she sat back up and rested her fanny on her heels before pausing to say, "Oh my...what am I doing? This is just like with Shampoo, only..."

"Shampoo?" Nabiki blinked, feeling the moment subside a little, permitting them to think normally again in spite of the underlying sense of eroticism and arousal that predominated the moment, "You mean...that time you and she...did it together?"

"Yes," Kasumi shivered a bit while hugging herself with her own arms, "It happened when I was showing her how to tap into her natural affinity with the Force...just as with now, while we were performing the Siege Perilous together...and it just sort of...happened..."

"What, you mean...like a side-effect or something?" Ranma asked, shaking slightly as he could still feel the nearness of the older girl and how close she had come to doing something...that his mind refused to process.

"Something like that," Kasumi glanced down for a moment as if to regather her senses, "The Siege Perilous is very powerful. It's a protection spell, but it also makes one very sensitive to the Force on other levels, such as when you feel a strong bond of mutual attraction with someone...like I feel with you, Ranma-kun...and with you, Nabiki...my sister."

"With...me?" Nabiki blinked, more surprised than offended by this revelation, though a second later she gasped, "But...I'm your sister..."

"I know," Kasumi replied, "It's just that...I've always cared for you, Imotochan, even when I never knew how to express it properly. You don't know how painful it's been finding myself in competition with you for the same iinazuke...but I was hoping that maybe...now...we could something work out together..."

"Work something out?" Nabiki took a half-step away, "But...that's crazy..."

"What in life these days isn't crazy?" Kasumi asked, then sighed, "Imotochan, I'm sorry if I surprised you like this...and Ranma-kun, I am so sorry that I presumed on you. It was mother's idea, really, that we should try and attempt this together. Sensei believed that it was for the better as well, but...I think she was expecting me to have a bit more self-control this time. On the other hand..." she turned and her expression once more became curiously un-  
Kasumi like, "When will a better time come around to express our feelings for one another? You are a man, Ranma-kun, whom I feel to be very...manly..."

"N-Nani?" Ranma started to react when he found Kasumi moving forward to straddle him once again, causing him to freeze in the act of looking up at her nude body, both mesmerized and terrified like a small cornered animal, a feeling altogether unfamiliar yet somehow as terrifying as it was intriguing...

"I've wanted you from the moment that I first met you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said with the softness of her breath caressing his naked skin, making him aware of the sheen of perspiration that covered the exposed areas of his body, "I can't explain this desire that I have for you since we come from very different worlds and have little more than our martial arts skills between us, yet I have never felt such a strong desire for a boy my own age, let alone younger, as I feel for you. You understand that, don't you, Ranma-kun?"

"K-K-Kasumi?" Ranma gasped, finding her face hovering over his so close that he could feel her long pony tail falling over his shoulder, her eyes almost luminous in the dim light of the dojo with her superb body faintly outlined in the glow of the moonlight filtering in from the windows. Once more the obliteration of all sense of separation settled over them, making him aware of the aching need within her body that matched a similar need within his own, and as the moment hovered nearer he found his resistance crumbling before the relentless onslaught of Kasumi's bright affections.

"All of my life I have watched as other girls seek love and companionship with someone who makes them feel special," Kasumi informed him in a soft whisper, her need so intense that even Nabiki was similarly affected, "In my heart I've wanted to be that person who finds someone to make life meaningful, and I know now that you are that one whom I've been waiting for all of my life. Please be the one who can make this moment a special one...for both of us..."

And then she closed the gap with him, causing Ranma to react in surprise when he felt the caress of soft lips pressing against his own, even as the weight of her breasts pressing against his chest, and then the whole of her body was draped on top of him, pushing Ranma to the floor as the older girl began to paint passionate kisses all over his face and neckline, her hands caressing his skin as his body reacted in automatic reflex. His hands reached up to lay hold on her body, whether intending to push her away or to encourage her further, but that contact froze his mind in neutral as he became suddenly aware of just how feminine she was and how good it felt to be straddled beneath her warm and supple body. With the full body contact their boundaries dissolved altogether and they became as one flesh and body, and at once they were fully open to each other, mind to mind in contact with their souls melding into sweet passion.

Nabiki stood where she was watching and feeling as all of this happened before her, an increasing sense of familiarity intruding upon the unreality to the situation. Kasumi was aggressively making out with a boy...with Ranma-kun, and showing none of her usual hesitation or restraint in her actions. More astonishing still, Ranma was responding to Kasumi's entreaties and opening up to her on a level that was wholly new to both of them and Nabiki, more than just carnal sex but a joining of souls and bodies. Even standing apart as she was Nabiki could feel their energies pooling and combining, and in that hybrid union of male and female parts a new symbiosis was formed that gave perfect balance of one being to another.

Nabiki's eyes got very round as she saw Ranma's hands begin to move up and down Kasumi's sides before moving to encircle her within the embrace of his strong arms, and then the question of consent became academic as animal noises escaped from both of those attractive writhing bodies. Nabiki was not sure if she was being ignored or had been forgotten, but she found herself an unwitting voyeur as she watched Kasumi and Ranma begin to follow the course of instinct, and then it slowly dawned upon the middle Tendo sister that she was becoming quite aroused the longer she watched things happen.

"This is nuts," she said in a ragged breath, her body shaking with need as she hugged herself the more tightly, and then arrived at an unavoidable decision, "Oh hell...!"

She fell to her knees and began to crawl to the side of the two others, hoping she would not be rebuffed in her entreaties, but to her relief, surprise, amazement and dismay she saw Kasumi turn from planning kisses over Ranma's chest to stretch out an arm towards her with a gentle entreaty, "Nabiki..."

Nabiki took that hand within her own and then doubt melted away at the brief contact, leaving only a desire that was as much of the soul as it was of the body.

"Kasumi..." she murmured fondly, melting into their embrace and losing herself into a genuine three-way, and then love broke out like a raging fire that swept through everything, filling their combined beings with the sweet sensation of the Force renewing their bonds and making the three of them into a whole and perfect union...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Coital Relations for Jedi: shadowmane

So, the big event has finally happened, now what follows after besides the cigarette and champagne? As Ranma and his iinazuke sort matters out between them, Akane finds herself a reluctant guest of the Tendos as Trieste and her mother attempt to put right the little "matter" between herself and Kodachi...but how will Tatewaki react, and is Taro far behind in making his opinions known concerning Akane's misbehavior? Be here next time for: "Ain't Misbehaving," or, "The Gymnast Strikes Back!" Be there!

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If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	29. Chapter 29

Jedi Kasumi29

Jedi Kasumi

(A Star Wars/Ranma Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

LEMON ALERT-HENTAI MATERIAL AHEAD!  
CONTAINS SCENES AND SITUATIONS OF AN EXTREMELY ADULT NATURE, WHICH IS KIND OF FUNNY SINCE THE AGES OF THE PARTICIPANTS RANGE FROM 16 TO 19 YEARS OF AGE, BUT AS THEY ARE FICTIONAL THIS DOES NOT TECHNICALLY VIOLATE ANY COMMUNITY STANDARDS-  
NONETHELESS, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Episode Twenty-Nine.

The Waxy Scent of Lemon

Having at last succumbed to their mutual attraction, the engaged trio of Ranma,  
Kasumi and Nabiki are now vigorously at work exploring the nature of their three-way mutual engagement, having lost all inhibition due to the use of the Siege Perilous as a teaching tool to further their Jedi training...

While Ranma and his fianc es are thus engaged in vigorous foreplay, the other trio of Ukyo, Akane and Shampoo have run into some unforeseen snags due to a fierce disagreement over the depth of sincerity of Akane's romantic intentions.  
Ukyo has doubts that Akane is capable of having a fidelitous relationship and has asked for space to Sort out her own confused feelings in the matter. Even So, the Chef is surprised to discover that she is not quite the passive participant that she has until now been presupposing...

Meanwhile,  
Trieste and Kimiko,  
concerned with Akane's recent behavior, have resolved to take matters into their own hands and thus have dragged the youngest Force Adept over to the Kuno mansion in an attempt to reconcile any issues currently separating the Families of Kuno and Tendo, a well-meaning effort that is about to yield unexpected side-effects...

Akane glanced nervously around the room, which was styled in the manner of an ancient Japanese Daimyo's audience chamber, the aristocratic nature of which was evident from the tasteful display of ancient masks and weaponry adorning what clearly doubled as a sometime practice chamber. As Akane sat composed and uneasy at the side of her Sensei and Mother, she wondered what the purpose was for even being here given that it had been some time since they had last paid their respects to the Kuno family. This room was clearly designed to remind visitors of the impressive heritage of the Kuno family and their deep roots in noble Samurai traditions, leaving her to wonder if the Lord and Lady of the estate really did tend to think of themselves as minor nobility. If so, then it could go a long ways to explaining the behavior of Tatewaki and Kodachi.

It was just like the Kunos to want to make people feel like inferior servants any time they paid a visit. Just because they were wealthy and that Godai Kuno had a thriving business as both a Florist and a Pharmacist of good standing, was that any reason to make people wait for twenty minutes as though they were supplicants paying respects to their Daimyo? Small wonder Tatewaki tended to act like he owned the very street down which he walked and all the other students at Furinkan were his unpaid retainers. Kodachi had that same air too, which was what had made bringing her down a peg so much fun in the first place, the memory of which gave Akane a too-brief smile before she hastily stuffed the thought away, not wanting to be reprimanded for allowing her thoughts to wander too far from the present while Trieste was taking notice.

Waiting was not really a skill for which she had much practice, and the longer she and her two elders sat there in formal positions of respect the more anxious she became as if sensing that something momentous was in the works, for which she had only the vaguest clue to give her warning. It was not like her mother to be so mysterious and vague as to the purpose for which Akane's presence was demanded, but she knew it had something to do with the events that had taken place between herself and Kodachi. Her Sensei's sobering demeanor as much as said this in loud, bold lettering, and that only increased the degree of Akane's reluctance to be in this place when she would much rather be elsewhere spending time with her friends, Shampoo and Ukyo. After all, they were supposed to be in training against the Golden Pair, and Akane was anxious to be with them when the time came to give that Mikado Senzenen his much-deserved comeuppance.

Thinking of Ukyo and Shampoo only increased the degree of her anxiety, fueling her need to want to patch things up with both of her lovers. She had no idea why they had come to strain their friendship so suddenly, even granted that Ukyo had been quite explicit in spelling out her deep reservations regarding Akane recent behavior and capacity for a stable relationship. Akane had assured Ukyo that she had every intention of changing her ways and settling down with Ukyo as her primary lover, but still the former Sith apprentice seemed convinced that fidelity was not within Akane's nature, and even Shampoo seemed to be taking her side by refusing sexual relations with them both until Ukyo herself made a firmer declaration. Two consecutive nights without either girl writhing beside her under the bedsheets was enough to make Akane fidget with a serious need for immediate self-relief, and yet she dared not touch herself down there while a guest in someone's house and in the presence of her Elders. Even she had enough discretionary sense to know better than to try that!

What was with Ukyo doubting Akane like that anyway? It was hardly as if Akane had been actively pursuing anyone else since first encountering the Bishonen chef, Shampoo exempted naturally. The three of them fit together so well upon a futon, there was magic in everything that they tried together, and it was quite a joy getting both girls to take turns in a "sandwich" position, even having Akane be the "filling" in the middle when they really got cooking. Shampoo never ceased to amaze Akane with her sheer inventiveness and near-endless stream of masterful techniques, and even the less experienced Ukyo was picking things up by osmosis...so where was the source of the conflict that had suddenly sprung up between them? Why did Ukyo doubt that Akane could commit to her when Shampoo herself could testify that they made a great couple together? It just did not make any sense, though she wondered at times if maybe Shampoo had figured it out and had yet to see fit to inform Akane...

Her attention thus distracted, it took her a moment before her senses alerted her to the approach of someone who had a strong Force aura, and then she looked up to see the Lady Hitome Kuno make her entrance to the chamber. That is to say that she swept in like a graceful, brightly-plumed bird in her flowing kimono and general air of charm and regal bearing, her feet seeming to glide across the smooth wooden flooring as she bathed them all in a benevolent smile then said, "Kimiko, Sensei! It's been ages since you last visited, how are you?"

"Hitome-san," Kimiko rose to clasp arms with the other woman, the both of them radiating genuine pleasure in the other's presence, "It's been much too long. How have you been faring? You look fabulous! Have you been trying a new diet?"

"Only a diet of love, but you must tell me how you manage to remain so beautiful, and after having three lovely daughters, is this one of them I see?" Hitome turned the power of her smile upon Akane, "Why, that can't be your youngest, can she? She looks so much grown up, and what lovely hair...Akane-  
chan? Is this the little girl I remember so fondly?"

"Um," Akane colored a bit and bowed her head while remaining kneeling, knowing better than to stand up without an express invitation, "How are you doing, Auntie? It has been a while, hasn't it?"

Trieste had signaled that Akane was to remain seated while she herself stood up and in turn clasped arms with Lady Kuno, "It is good to see you well, Hitome-  
san. The years have been kind to you, and I can feel that your training in the Force has progressed to a most impressive degree."

"I only practice what you have taught me, Sensei," Hitome blushed like a girl Akane's own age before turning an amused look towards Kimiko, "So tell me how that rascal of a husband of yours is getting on these days? Is he still as much of a crybaby as I remember?"

"Not that he has much to cry about these days," Kimiko replied with a smile that was almost conspiratorial, "Our eldest daughter, Kasumi, is now engaged to a younger man whom she met a while ago, a very talented young boy by the name of Saotome Ranma."

"Saotome?" Hitome backed away a bit in surprise, "Surely you don't mean...Genma?"

"The very same," Kimiko replied, "He and Nodoka had a son who's now about Akane's age, but he's quite a mature young man and very talented in the martial arts, so much so that Sensei has elected to take him on as a student for Jedi training..."

"Sure not!" Hitome reacted, "Nodoka? You mean your daughter is engaged to marry his son? How extraordinary! And here I would have thought it would be one of her rivals who'd take the honors, most likely Atsuko..."

"Haven't seen her for a while, thankfully," Kimiko said with an enigmatic expression of her own, "But I think she may have had a son of her own who's been hanging around the neighborhood causing trouble. Like mother, like son, I suppose..."

"Oh yes," Hitome nodded, "Atsuko was quite the hell raiser, but that Amazon...now she could be annoying! Ah dear me...such memories..."

"As I recall," Kimiko said slyly, "You used to have quite the thing for Genma yourself back in those days, before he settled down and picked Nodoka."

"Oh please," Hitome replied, "I am well past the age for girlish crushes. I'm quite happy now with Godai, and I have two lovely children who make life interesting in the mansion. In truth I can't imagine what it was that possessed me back then to want to have anything to do with a vagabond like Genma, though I am curious to know how Nodoka is faring. Is she still practicing that quaint Ken-jutsu ryu of hers? The one with the quick draw style?"

"As far as I know," Kimiko replied, "And do you still maintain your own kata?"

"Oh, I keep in shape through regular practice," Hitome said breezily, "I've just wondered how good Nodoka may have gotten over the years. It would be interesting to cross swords with her once again, for old times sakes..."

"Of course," Trieste gently intruded in on the gossip, "I'm sure she feels the same, but Hitome-san, that is not why Kimiko-chan and I wished to speak with you. Is your husband available?"

"Godai?" Hitome responded, "Certainly, I can have Sasuke fetch him, he's in the study."

"Please do," Trieste urged, "And have your children meet with us here, Tatewaki and Kodachi. What we have to say affects them as well as our family's honor."

"Oho?" Hitome raised an eyebrow, at this, "Family honor you say? Well then, I'll go tell my family and have them all convene with you in a group meeting. We don't have enough of those around here, it will be good to get back into the practice."

Akane eyed the older woman uneasily, her feelings of uneasiness only increasing by the moment, which prompted her to wonder what her Sensei and mother had in mind for her being here anyway, and why her older sisters were no where to be found at the moment, which in turn made her mentally ask the next inevitable question, **Where the heck are Kasumi and Nabiki anyway?**

Had she but known the answer to this query her anxiety would have been instantly transformed to dismay and exasperation, and not a little amazement...

The Siege Perilous had the virtue of being a psychically impregnable barrier, which meant that it prevented spiritual energies from directly penetrating either way, so even clairvoyance and telepathy were blocked from both the inside and the outside. Psychic energy could circulate in and out through the permeable layers of the field itself, but not coherent thoughts or energies that could be translated into word, sensation or image, which was why no one outside of the circle could sense or be aware of the curious events taking place within its protective embrace as three very special teenagers were gathered together in a rather intense pastime for which there was much intense activity accompanied by a lot of profuse groaning and moaning, punctuated by the odd cry at intermittent moments.

Ranma had never even imagined himself in such a situation as what he found himself, sandwiched in the middle of a sisterly threesome as Nabiki and Kasumi yielded to their animal impulses, the baser need to couple overriding all other conscious awareness. As incredible as it felt to be in the midst of his two beautiful iinazuke without a stitch of clothing between them, it was even more incredible to feel the press of their bodies, the caress of their soft hands and the gentle touch of their lips as they painted kisses all over his face and upper chest, the sisters of one mind and intent as they treated Ranma to the overwhelming pleasure of their combined stimulations. Though their behavior was not characteristic of the women whom he looked up to as senior students of the Jedi arts, he was in no state of mind to refuse their tender entreaties. He was also very potently aware of their attractive qualities as both women and fianc es, their not-so-subtle charms upon display and overwhelming his senses as he went along with their urgent desire to physically join with him.

For a young man with no prior sexual experience, it was more than a bit of an eye-opener to find himself in this inexplicable situation, and yet some part of his mind understood and reacted instinctively to their encouragement as his own hands responded in kind, caressing and fondling their bodies even as his mind registered the soft firmness of their skin, the warmth of flesh as he explored areas formerly off-limits to his conscious way of thinking. Of great interest were those delicately yielding mounds of flesh that were offered to him like ripe fruit fit for the plucking, and yet his own experience in his cursed form cautioned him to an awareness of just how sensitive a woman's breast could be, and with that in mind he was much gentler in handling them than the sort of groping crudeness that might otherwise have been expected.

That both Nabiki and Kasumi responded positively to being touched in such a place was a revelation in itself even as he felt their kisses going lower down his own anatomy, causing his manhood to stiffen to an erect posture that jutted towards the ceiling like a finger lifted in profound realization of its purpose in life. His posture grew even more hard when the two sisters each reached down simultaneously and began fondling his scrotum, playing with his "balls" as it were before moving on to the shaft and vying for the honors of seeing which one of them would be first to lay claim to this spire of his masculinity. It was an even guess to venture which of them was the more eager, though Kasumi and Nabiki exchanged looks that were as much competitive as lustful, and each one smiled in turn, Kasumi kind and passionate in her ardor, Nabiki somewhat more possessive, but clearly not resenting the shared interest of her older sibling.

"After you, Nabiki-chan," Kasumi softly murmured, "I insist."

"All right, Oneechan," Nabiki replied, her avaricious appetites getting the better of any normal deference that she might otherwise had displayed to her beloved sister.

Ranma just lay flat on his back and wondered what those two were going on about, but the next instant his eyes went wide as he saw Nabiki bring her mouth down into play, flicking her tongue at the base of his shaft and moving her way up towards the ball in smooth and enthusiastic order. Almost like a young girl licking at a popsicle she began to paint a trail of saliva up and down the shaft until, working her way to the top, she parted her lips even wider and took the whole head into her mouth, washing her tongue around the base of the "helmet" and causing Ranma to arch his back and gasp in disbelief, half afraid that she was about to eat it, and the other half of his being just simply reacting to the indescribable pleasure. Nabiki continued to work him over until she was ready to take more of him down the hatch, first a few inches at a time, then deeper, bobbing back and forth as she swallowed more and more of him down like a circus performer might thrust a sword down her throat, sliding the shaft up to her trachea and back again while Ranma just groaned and felt as though he were being devoured over and over.

He had always known that Nabiki liked putting things in her mouth and had a sweet-tooth for consumption, but when he dared glance down the length of his chest and saw how far she was going down on him he nearly panicked, thinking that for sure she would bite his shaft off and swallow him like a footlong hot dog. Each time she surrendered his shaft to take another breath was but a temporary relieve even as he felt the first pass down his loins into his belly, and then she would swallow him up again until she had more than seventeen centimeters down, nearly to the base, leaving Ranma to wonder how she could fit his full length that far down past her tonsils, even as the rest of him felt knotted up as though he were about to experience a massive internal explosion.

But then Kasumi, who had coyly positioned herself behind Nabiki and had been teasing the rear genitalia of her younger sister (much to Nabiki own amazement and delight) put a halt to things and said, "That is enough, Nabiki-chan...now you must take Ranma-kun in through a different pair of lips. You're just about wet enough down here, he should slide into you without much problem."

"Eh?" Nabiki gasped as she pried her mouth loose from Ranma's "plug," only to have Kasumi gently encourage her to sit upright and then position herself so that her loins were poised directly over the now rock-hard shaft of Ranma's organ. Nabiki was surprised at being expertly handled by Kasumi as her sister positioned the head at the lubricated gates of her sex, but then Kasumi gently urged her to "sit down" upon him, and Nabiki rolled her eyes back in her had as she softly sighed, taking Ranma in all the way in one smooth, fluid motion. Kasumi then settled down directly behind Nabiki and cupped her sister's breasts with her two good hands, nuzzling Nabiki's earlobe as she murmured, "Now, Imotochan, we will do this together..."

Nabiki gasped as Kasumi began to gently rock the both of them forward, then eased her way back again, moving her sister's loins atop of Ranma no more than a few centimeters, but which proved more than sufficient motion to grind the boy's prick against the sensitive nerves surrounding her opening, which gave Nabiki as much pleasure as the feeling for Ranma of having those velvety walls caress and enfold him. Kasumi rocked back and forth again several more times like this before she began to grind her own pelvis up against Nabiki's fanny, which added to the upward motion of her pelvic upstroke, a small but significant increasing of the pressure that fired her nervous system with electric sparks and gave Ranma some lateral motion to consider as his manhood throbbed and pulsed within her. Kasumi also gave excellent service to her sister's breasts while nibbling on Nabiki's earlobe, the combined effect of which put her sister near the edge of total arousal even as Ranma felt the pressure build inside of him growing all the more intense each time she bobbed up and down on his stiff member.

Of the three of them it appeared to be Kasumi who was coordinating the bulk of the action, but Nabiki was easily as aroused at the feeling of Kasumi's pelvis grinding against her butt as she was the deliciously full sense of Ranma's huge organ jutting up inside her, so much so that she started to lean forward at one point, only to have Ranma's hands reflexively reach up to steady her about the rib-cage. Nabiki wasted no time urging him to move those hands a bit upward, and then she had the delight of feeling four hands plying and kneading her soft flesh as Kasumi surrendered part of her grip and instead urged Ranma to place his thumbs and forefingers on both of Nabiki's nipples, at which point Ranma took over by gently tweaking those delicate love buttons, even as Kasumi's hands glided down and began to stroke up and down the smooth belly of her less experienced sibling, causing certain nerves to flare to life as butterflies began fluttering from her tummy to her bosom, even as Kasumi's hands moved further down and began to tease Nabiki's sex around where she was engorging Ranma's male organ. A bit of tentative exploring was all it took for her sister to discover Nabiki's hooded clitoris, and then the middle Tendo sister began gasping in amazement, spiraling pinwheels and firecrackers going off in her head even as her body clenched around Ranma like a muscle and applied the last bit of pressure needed to set him off within her.

Like a lightsaber flashing to life, Ranma felt his manhood clench like a fist within his loins before the dam burst completely and he fountained his load deep inside his randy iinazuke. As this was on one of her downstrokes, Nabiki gasped as though a water hose had been turned on inside her. Although objectively she knew that the average male could not produce more than a teaspoon of semen at one time, it felt like a heck of a lot more than that! Added to that was a swell of emotive energies that seemed to gather and flow up from the boy she straddled to rocket up her spine and cause her mind to explode with altogether new sensations. She shuddered as Kasumi held her tightly, the two of them so closely bonded on the level of the psyche that the climax experienced by one triggered a similar sympathetic orgasm in the older of the two sisters. Kasumi's hands reached up to cup Ranma's as the both of them fondled Nabiki together, and for a moment all awareness of their individual selves dissolved, leaving them open and aware of each other on a level that was altogether new, strange and different, yet wonderfully intimate, like an intense three-way circuit being completed.

Ranma was suddenly transported beyond his own identity to perceive the women on top of him on a level he could never have previously imagined. His connection with Nabiki was intense and spiritual, making him aware of the woman she was and not just the girl she appeared to be upon the surface. He could sense her likes and dislikes, her memories, thoughts and ambitions, along with her curious mix of mischievous sprite and sly genius, the entire package unfolding before his senses to reveal the good parts as well as the bad, a flash of sensation, thought and awareness that rushed through his mind like a dizzying blur, leaving only an impression in its wake that was essentially Nabiki, a new appreciation of her personality and body all rolled into one glorious paradox of wonders.

She was indeed the family mercenary, but she had a heart to match her head, a compassion almost the equal to her appreciation for material concerns. She had a passion for numbers and could rattle off calculations at a dizzying speed and had cost-benefit analysis worked out to a real science, but she also was mindful of the consequences of her actions and why it was best to restrain her impulses as she might otherwise have been a very difficult person with whom to live. She very territorial and tended to mark her own personal space with an eye to limiting access to only those whom she really trusted. She was not an easy person to get to know, which fairly amazed him as he had always found her to be quite open, and though she was clearly light years beyond him in understanding the sciences, what attracted him to her most was the sense of need for comfort and security that she hid beneath her strong streak of independence. At heart she wanted someone to love her whom she could trust and feel relaxed around, someone who would never betray her trust or take advantage of his intimate knowledge of her makeup to exploit this against her. In a word, she wanted a friend as much as she needed a lover.

Ranma was fairly amazed at how complex the shorthaired Tendo sister's mind could be, yet he found very little within her that did not fit with the overall mosaic, and much of what he did find appealed to him greatly. She was a lot more beautiful on the inside than even she suspected, and as beautiful as she was on the outside there was a loneliness about her with which he could easily identify, a sense of alienation that came from being different from those around you, of knowing and understanding things that were difficult to explain before others.

And knowing her did something to him that was quite extraordinary. All at once his hands gripping her breasts like ripened melons began caressing her skin with a newfound appreciation. He felt a strongly urgent need to protect and comfort her, to offer Nabiki his very soul if need be, and to place himself utterly and completely in her hands, even as he felt a bit of her own territorialism invade the moment of his surrender, making his caress as much a tacit statement of possession. In effect he was claiming her every bit as much as she had laid claim to his manhood, and without needing to state the matter baldly in words he was declaring her HIS woman, his mate, his companion, offering her an end to their mutual loneliness and the beginning of an epic journey upon which they both were united in firm friendship...and something else besides this.

Kasumi felt the wellspring of emotion rising from Ranma into her sister and felt the joy in Nabiki's heart soar like a little bird given first flight. This, curiously enough, caused Kasumi to feel a vast joy of her own as she celebrated their coupling by linking with their union and adding her own warm blanket of affections. Rather than resent her as an intruder, Nabiki and Ranma both delighted and welcomed the sense of Kasumi's radiant presence, all negative emotions such as jealousy and sisterly resentment banished in the glow of their union, and inspiring in Nabiki a strong sense of need that utterly surprised her.

"Your turn, Oneechan," she said aloud, turning her head to see Kasumi smiling gently, their lips only a few centimeters away before the latter leaned forward and tilted her head to kiss her younger sister, hands playing about her genitals and breasts as Nabiki faintly moaned through her nostrils.

It was a wonderful sense of closeness that they had never known before, and it made it easier for Nabiki to reluctantly pry herself off of Ranma's now-limp organ. Kasumi wasted no time exchanging places with Nabiki as the latter took her position behind the former and Kasumi placed both hands on Ranma's scrotum and manhood, applying pressure in a cunning way that stopped the retreat of blood and helped it to go erect again in very short order.

Ranma gasped in surprise of this, opening his eyes to see his other iinazuke moving into position to mount him. Without taking a moment to wonder how a guy like him could get this lucky, he waited with hushed anticipation until Kasumi spread her moistened labia and positioned the head of his organ at the entrance to her vagina. Nabiki helped by eagerly applying finger-pressure to both labia and clitoris, paying her sister back with eager relish for the delicious torments that she had suffered, even as Kasumi eased Ranma inside her with a delicate sigh of anticipation and longing. Ranma could feel the need inside the older girl, the long-denied hunger for a man to straddle, and with only a slight gasp of his own he found his organ invaded the sanctity of her velvety canal without resistance of any kind. All at once her loins swallowed his up down to the base and Kasumi gasped in recognition, leaning back into Nabiki's arms and feeling the press of the younger girl's bosom against her shoulder blades, hard and knobby nipples gently poking her with unmistakably insistence as Nabiki rested her chin on Kasumi's shoulder and smiled in gleeful anticipation.

They started slow at first, much as Kasumi had done when controlling Nabiki, but soon the need became so intense that they started grinding together against Ranma's hard pelvis. The younger boy could do little but put his hands to use steadying Kasumi and fondling her breasts intermittently, though it was Nabiki who paid the most attention there by far, quite obviously getting off on hearing her older sister grunt and exclaim in sharp noises as the friction built up inside her, plunging Ranma's manhood up and down in a bounce that grew in tempo until they were hopping up and down on Ranma with abandon, Nabiki gasping each time her aching loins made contact with her sister's rump, and Kasumi delighting in the welcome embrace of both of her stout lovers.

It took some time before the pressure built up too much for Ranma to comfortably resist the urge to explode a second time, but only after Kasumi got coherent enough to remember to touch a certain nerve along the base could he actually come off inside her, and then he shot his second load of the evening right up into her spine, causing Kasumi to cry out and arch her back as though she were being impaled by his love dagger. Had it not been for the wards placed about the chamber the sound would have awaken the entirely neighborhood, but as it was the loudest scream that Nabiki had ever heard emerge from her sister it was quite memorable, oddly adding to the younger girl's pleasure as this delightful bit of payback was also as much her form of thanks to the generosity that had been displayed by her older sister.

Once again Ranma felt that moment of completion expand as he reached out with his entire being to fill and complete the gaping need that was buried so deep within Kasumi. All at once he knew her every bit as much as he now knew Nabiki, her mind and awareness expanding to incorporate his own unguarded spirit, the older girl unfolding before him in her entirety of body and spirit, giving him a clear sense of who she was as a person and what made her so special when compared with other girls. To Ranma's amazement he found himself embracing perfection as Kasumi embodied both a motherly wisdom and a child-like innocence that went well with her generous and compassionate nature, both nurturing and protective.

Whereas Nabiki had come across as possessive and a bit self-centered, Kasumi proved to be the very opposite of both qualities if more an interesting contrast than a polar opposite. Kasumi was generous to a fault yet had a practical street-wise savvy about her that one might hardly have expected had they not known that she had traveled much of the world in the company of her Mistress. Ranma was amazed at the agile facility in which her mind worked, far more the long-range strategist to the short-range tactician that was her younger sister. Just viewing the memories of the places to where the older girl had traveled cause Ranma to feel a very unexpected sense of envy and appreciation. He had thought himself well traveled after ten years of living on the road with his father, yet now he understood implicitly the vast difference that was to be found in paying your way for the places you visited and the places at which you stayed rather than sleeping in the forest and many a back alley, as he had done with his cheapskate father.

Sensei Trieste had been quite attentive to showing Kasumi many of the religious sites and important temple areas that were to be found throughout the wider span of Asia, and some of the places where they had stayed were quite beautiful and interesting, inspiring in Ranma the unexpected desire to travel there himself one day so that he could take everything in with his own senses. Trieste never seemed to lack for money and resources, but she never stooped to the petty thievery that had been the lot of Genma during his travels. Once again Ranma felt a stab of envy at having missed out on such an experience and almost wished that Trieste had raised him the way she had raised Kasumi and her sisters.

Nabiki, meanwhile, was quite fascinated as she studied the flow of memories and emotions that she now shared with her older sibling. She had always known that Kasumi had been to some very curious sites in her time, but only now did she appreciate how much she had missed from being the one who stayed home to help out their parents and look after their younger sister. Envy gave way to delight as Kasumi freely shared everything with her from the fondest memories to the most quixotic adventures that she and Trieste had experienced together. It made Nabiki hug Kasumi that much more tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks as happiness and sadness flowed together, making her suddenly aware of just how much she missed having her Oneechan around and how good it felt to hold her in her arms, to revel in the sweet perfume of her body and give vent to her dawning awareness of just what a great body Kasumi had, and how nice it was to squeeze her bosom. The more she thought on this the more her former reluctance faded to a dim memory, and then she knew that she wanted Kasumi every bit as much as she wanted to screw some more with Ranma.

Once Ranma came down from his second climax he felt exhausted and was panting harder than if he had fought for an hour against an opponent as tough as Ryoga. His heart was beating like a drum and it was all that he could do to suck wind and attempt to stave off passing out while Kasumi reluctantly surrendered her purchase to allow Ranma some much-needed rest. Instead she turned around and leaned up against Nabiki, planting a kiss on the younger girl's lips that was closely followed by their arms entwining one another, and then Kasumi bore Nabiki down to the floor and started to paint sweet kisses over her face and cheeks, moving down to her throat area while plying hands to Nabiki's skin, doing her best to cause the other girl to yield to her caresses as Kasumi went down on the hollow of Nabiki's neckline, pressed her lips to the base of her throat and then drew a trail of tongue-flicks down from her shoulders to those swelling mounds of flesh that were Nabiki's bosom. In return for this Nabiki arched her back and softly cried out her sister's name while spreading her legs wide en accommodate her, yielding herself to Kasumi as though she were the pink meat of a freshly opened oyster.

Ranma lay where he was watching the two of them go at it with rounded eyes that belied his state of overall languor. He had never suspected that either Kasumi or Nabiki were even capable of something like this, but once he started to watch them in action he began to feel his excitement and interest renewing, if only because he could not look away, as mesmerized as he was by the beauty of the two passionate sisters going at it like a couple of passionate kittens in heat, and the more he watched the more his limp manhood began to revive, its soreness forgotten in the intensity of their mutual ardor.

Nabiki was past the point of surprise finding herself writhing in the arms of Kasumi when her older sister rolled her onto her back positioned Nabiki's body in such a way that she was straddling her while lavishing attention on her younger sister's fulsome breasts. Nabiki gasped as Kasumi suckled first one nipple and then the other, clearly delighting in the savor and taste in her mouth. Nabiki reveled in the wonderful sensations this caused her, but even more when Kasumi rubbed her face between Nabiki's cleavage, then slowly began to plant a series of kissed down her chest to her belly button, and then pause while she lavished attention down there, causing all sorts of fluttering sensations to climb up and down the younger sibling's spine, and then Kasumi resumed her course downward towards the "V" formed by Nabiki's legs, carefully circling around the furry space covering her moistened labia before going to work down the inner thigh of one leg.

Nabiki all but howled at this as she thought Kasumi a magician for finding exactly the right way to drive her over the edge of delight into full ecstasy, but Kasumi was far from content to merely tongue her way down the sensitive nerve endings, she went the full length of her sister's leg , lifting and stretching it out as she painted her way down to the bare foot of her sibling, and then she began to lick the instep, and Nabiki went wild as she squirmed and writhed on the floor at the indescribable pleasure that this caused her. Her other leg kicked and she thrashed with her arms and body like a fish on land, the noises of astonished approval music to Kasumi's ears, which further encouraged her to give such treatment to the whole foot, even as Ranma watched with rounded eyes and marveled at the way the older girl could bring her sister to a fit of groans and giggles in the space of a few seconds.

He was also grateful for the chance to rest up as Kasumi repeated her efforts upon Nabiki's other leg, but then she got tired to tormenting Nabiki with such teasing gestures and moved in for the kill, having gotten her sister sufficiently aroused that she could now indulge in some good old fashioned wholesome cunnalingus. Of course at the moment her lips touched Nabiki's sex her sister started to go over the edge, and no sooner did Kasumi begin to flick her tongue over her clitoris then Nabiki's hips began to buck and she gave vent to her extreme pleasure by gushing out in female ejaculation, only some of which found its way to Kasumi's lips as the older Tendo sibling was caught by surprise for a rare instant.

Not slow to recover, however, Kasumi promptly licked her face like a cat then dove in and began cleaning Nabiki up, tasting some of Ranma's semen mixed with the sweetness of her sister. Nabiki thrashed like a wild woman as Kasumi went to town on her, and all the while Ranma looked on in sheer amazement.

When at last Nabiki's double-orgasm spent its course and she began to subside a bit from the intensity of the moment Kasumi gently eased her down rather than force matters to continue. She looked up from her position with her face slick with moisture as Nabiki's gasps became gentle whimpers, then mews of happy contentment, followed by a soft sigh and a happy, "Mmmmm...ooohhh, Kasumi...that was incredible..."

"And that's only for a beginning, Imotochan," Kasumi cooed softly, moving up to straddle Nabiki with her face hovering over the younger girl with their noses almost touching, "Would you like to do me now? I assure you, there is no experience quite like bringing another woman to fulfillment."

At one time Nabiki would have declined the offer, insisting that she did not go **that way** in any sexual context, but now, with the evidence clearly at hand, she could only smile up at the slickened juices that covered her older sister's lovely face, then impulse and instinct took over and she reached up to pull Kasumi down into a kiss that was only the start of the ensuing foreplay.

Ranma watched what happened next like a man in a dream as Nabiki demonstrated how quick a study she was by returning back on Kasumi every bit of the pleasure that had just been rendered unto her, and as he watched he felt his own excitement building to an intensity that was truly beyond comprehension. He knew that he could not long hold back from joining in once again on the fun, even as he felt a strange connection to the activities being played out before him. It was as though he could empathically sense the intense sensations both were throwing off as they worked to bring each other to completion once again, the sisters not wasting too much time before assuming a classic "69" position, almost turning it into a sporting competition as they licked each other's sex with the happy eagerness of a couple of cats in heat, and it was even money which girl was enjoying herself more while pleasuring the other.

It was a lot to take in for someone who-up until fifteen minutes ago-was barely even aware about sex and the wonders of the female body, but now that he was a fresh convert to the faith he had every intention of indulging this fantasy fetish, and while he was hardly so crude as to term it as "plunging into the pussy" (he would have shuddered if someone had said that word in his presence) he was more than ready to plunge in and indulge in the fun, sensing intuitively that his presence was more than welcome as the fun was only just beginning, and he was an altogether eager student for these types of advanced lessons, just as Kasumi and Nabiki were proving to be most ardent teachers...

"Mother dear?" Kodachi asked as she responded to her summons, "You asked Sasuke to find me?"

"Come in, Child," Hitome smiled, waving to the other guests already seated upon the floor, "Look who has graced us for a visit? Sensei Trieste and my dear friend Kimiko, and look, they brought their daughter, Akane, along, isn't that nice?"

Kodachi was surprised to see the two older women present in her family's ancestral chamber, but at the sight of Akane she nearly turned tail and fled back down the corridor. That her older brother, Tatewaki, was also present only added to her embarrassment and confusion, but to see her father sitting at the end of the room in the position of a Daimyo served to halt her in mid-flight. No matter how uncomfortable she might be to see Akane in the room, there was no way that she would show fear within his presence. She had pride in her family to consider, and for a Kuno to admit to being intimidated by a mere commoner was most unthinkable. She thus forced herself to move on ahead, careful not to glance towards Akane for fear of losing her nerve and defeating the effect that she was hoping to create.

Her slight hesitation, however, did not go unnoticed by the other occupants of the chamber. Tatewaki frowned while his mother looked on in concern, her father only arched an eyebrow while Trieste narrowed her glance slightly and Kimiko gave a quizzical look as if to inquire what was making the child so nervous. Akane just sighed, wondering if there would be any chance to tell her side of the story before anyone started yelling. And here she had hoped that her presence in this meeting would not signify any dire revelations of her past behavior...

Hitome indicated where Kodachi should sit and, after a moment of hesitation, the pony-tailed brunette did so, settling own upon a cushion set beside Tatewaki, but folding her legs beneath her so as to hide the fact that they felt very much like shaking at the moment. Again she tried not to glance towards Akane, but her uneasiness only increased as she imagined the other girl staring in her direction. As calm as she could manage she waited to hear what her elders had to say, nor was she to wait long before receiving the answer to her unspoken query.

Once satisfied that everyone was paying attention, the lord of the manor, Kuno Godai, a burly man of middle years, nodded to his guests and said, "Well then, Trieste-san, Kimiko-san, to what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

"Godai-san," Trieste began, "We have come before you because of a matter of the gravest nature that has come to our attention. It concerns Kimiko-chan's daughter, Akane, and an incident that we believe occurred between her your daughter some months ago, just prior to their meeting one another in a game of combat Martial Arts rhythmic Gymnastics."

"Oh yes," Godai smiled, "I remember that event. It was the first one Koko-chan lost to another high school, and very well played. It's rare to find anyone who can give our daughter a good run for her yen..."

"Father," Kodachi blurted before thinking better of the matter.

Godai only smiled indulgently at his child before returning his focus upon the trio before him, "An incident you say? What kind of incident, and was it the reason Koko-chan seemed to upset that she threw herself off her game and lost the match?"

"I fear that it is so, Godai-san," Trieste replied, "You see...it seems that Kodachi paid Akane a little unorthodox visit a few nights before their match, and...well...to put it delicately...something happened between them and we believe that it was sufficiently grave so as to warrant further action."

"Do tell?" Godai said with a curious expression, giving Akane a look that was more curious than hostile, "Koko-chan, would you care to explain this?"

Kodachi looked as though she had just swallowed a bug, but she nonetheless forced herself to say, "I...would rather not speak of the details, Father, save that what was done is done, and I would rather the matter be forgotten."

Tatewaki stared in amazement at his sibling, even as Akane just blinked, surprised at hearing such a demurral from the other girl, as though Kodachi was trying to save face rather than to admit what happened or explain just why she had been in Akane's room that particular evening.

Trieste persisted, however, by saying, "Alas, we feel that it cannot be ignored or forgotten. Akane acted quite irresponsibly and brought shame upon our house and school. That the guilt was shared between both girls hardly matters, only that my student must learn the consequences for her actions so that she never repeats such folly again."

"Folly you say?" Tatewaki asked with suspicion, eyeing Akane with a decidedly unfriendly expression, "What folly, pray, is that?"

"Um...well...it just sorta happened," Akane lamely replied, "I didn't mean any harm by it, honest!"

"I see," Godai pondered the matter before looking at Trieste again, "Do you believe that they deserve to be punished?"

"I am not one who believes that punishment alone can be instructive," Trieste responded, "But I do believe that certain issues require an instructive measure of discipline if we are to prevent bad behavior from becoming a habit. Kimiko-  
chan and I also believe that some form of just compensation should be extended to protect the name and reputation of both the Kuno and Tendo ryu."

"Commendable," Godai replied, "But is your solution to this matter adequate to the extent of the indiscretion that you are indicating? After all, they are quite young, and some things are known to happen..."

"Father," Kodachi visibly winced.

"Dear," Hitome said as she fluttered a hand fan to partially cover her face as she leaned closer to her husband and murmured something too soft to be heard by any other.

"Oh, quite right," Godai said as if just remembering a forgotten subject, "We are grateful to you for bringing this matter to our attention, but there is another related subject that concerns this matter equally in terms of family honor."

Trieste evidenced surprise and exchanged puzzled looks with Kimiko before turning back to regard the Kunos, "What matter is this, Godai-san?"

Godai smiled and gave a nod to Tatewaki, "My son has voiced to us his intent to pursue the hand of a Tendo sister in marriage. He has not been too specific with names and places, but it would be easy to see how he might find an interest in young Akane-san here, her being such a charming young lady..."

"N-Nani?" Akane blinked in surprise and dismay.

"Father," Tatewaki leaned forward, "I do not mean to contradict you, but this is not the Tendo sister whose hand I do covet. I regret not being more specific with you before but..."

"Oho?" Godai considered his son then said, "Akane has two older sisters if I remember rightly. That middle one...I think her name was Nabiki. Is she the one you seek?"

Tatewaki visibly blanched, "Hardly so, Father. It is not Tendo Akane whom I seek to make my own, nor even Nabiki, who is a classmate and nothing more than this to me. Rather it is the oldest of the Tendo sisters, Kasumi, whom I long for and do worship. Kasumi whose gentle soul and boundless kindness has touched me in ways no other woman has ever come close to rivaling..."

"Close to rivaling?" Kodachi turned a look of askance towards her older brother, "Tachi-kun...do you have any idea how foolish this is sounding?"

"Alas, I am a fool for love," Tatewaki replied, "I do not expect you to understand, my sister, since your heart clearly runs in a different direction.

As Kodachi sputtered over that remark, Akane murmured faintly to herself, "He's a fool all right, but not the way he's thinking..."

"Kasumi?" Hitome said brightly, "Trieste-san's chief student and apprentice? How wonderful! She's a nice, charming young lady, a real credit to any family, it would be a delight to call her my daughter..."

"But-wait!" Akane spoke up again before her elders could speak for her, "That's not right! Kasumi rejected Tatewaki's suit in favor of...um...somebody else..."

"That's right," Kimiko nodded, "Kasumi is engaged to marry a young man named Saotome Ranma..."

"Oh...silly me, I had quite forgotten," Hitome fanned herself, "That's right, you mentioned it just a few minutes ago. Kasumi and the son of Nodoka? Oh my...what a curious universe this is. But...does this mean that Nodoka's son and Tachi-chan are rivals for the same woman?"

"Rivals?" Tatewaki reacted with surprising vehemence, "Myself and that low-  
born...? You must be mistaken! There is no way that my sweet angel could ever look with favor on one who is so clearly beneath her..."

"Tatewaki," Trieste spoke with surprising sharpness.

"Sensei?" the young man turned to look at the stately Jedi Mistress.

"Have I not warned you of the risk of strong emotions taking control over your intellect?" Trieste asked with gentle sternness, "Outbursts such as this are not helpful, nor do they reflect well upon me as your teacher."

Tatewaki winced and lowered his head, then spoke with forced restraint, "Sensei...forgive my outburst, and the ungoverned passions that prompted me to voice them. I do not mean to bring shame to either you or my own house, but I am...concerned that Kasumi, a woman whom I deeply treasure, should turn her affections to one who is not worthy of her attention..."

"We understand what you mean by your words, Tatewaki," Kimiko replied, "And understand, I have no objections to you whatsoever as a suitor for at least one of my daughters. Hitome and I are friends from way back before you were born, and I know your father to be a good man of good heritage, and it would bring honor to both of our families if you were to marry Kasumi...but...the choice is not yours to be made, it was Kasumi's, in deference to the wishes of her father, my husband."

"Oho?" Godai arched an eyebrow, "You are saying that their union was arranged?"

"This is so, Godai-san," Kimiko replied, "But Kasumi chose to become engaged to Saotome Ranma of her own free will, and only my other daughter, Nabiki, has effectively disputed her claim..."

"Then is the matter fully decided?" Hitome asked with a wave of her folded fan, "Has Kasumi displaced the claim of Nabiki, or is the issue still as yet undeclared?"

"Ah...no...not exactly," Kimiko hesitated.

"We decided to allow the children to make the choice for themselves," Trieste spoke up on behalf of her companion, "As Kasumi and Nabiki care for one another as sisters, we thought it would be better for them to decide what sort of arrangement they should follow, and it was resolved that Ranma-kun should be given time to grow and mature before being forced to marry anyone. When he is of age, and not before, will he be a suitable match for my two oldest disciples."

"In other words you decided to duck and tossed the ball to the ladies to let them fight it out between them," Godai sighed, "Ah...that sounds so much like the good old days, I'm actually nostalgic...

"So Nodoka's son has both of your older daughters fighting over him?" Hitome fanned herself again with a coy expression, "My, that is...nostalgic...so he must be quite the charming young man...anything like his father?"

"Thankfully no," Trieste replied.

"But he is a charmer," Kimiko affirmed, "And if you met him you'd understand just why."

"This is absurd!" Tatewaki blurted out before catching the stern reproof of Trieste's expression, "I mean...Saotome Ranma is nothing but a low-class boor who has been living like an animal off the land, and he has no class, no manners, no style and no breeding..."

"Then he is like his father after all," Hitome turned her glance towards Kodachi, "And you, Koko-chan? Have you met this Saotome Ranma?"

"Um...I have, Mother-dearest," Kodachi responded, "He is Nabiki...um...friend, and as we used to be playmates together, I took an interest in seeing if he were worthy of her affections..."

"Which he is not, as surprising as that may sound," Tatewaki said, "Given the mercurial nature of Tendo Nabiki and the difficulty with which she normally forms attachments..."

Kodachi gave a sour look at her brother then said, "My impression of him was hardly as negative as that, and I do resent you saying such thoughtless things about my friend, Tatewaki. If she is smitten with this handsome young boy, then it is hardly your place to criticize her for this. However...the thought of Nabiki having to compete with her own sister..."

"Yeah, whatever," Akane rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Indeed?" Hitome mused, fanning herself once again before adding, "I think I should like to meet this boy and determine whom he more takes after, Genma...or Nodoka."

"So," Godai began with a curious expression, "You are saying that the girl whom my son is interested in marrying is in fact engaged to the son of Baldy Saotome? And yet Koko-chan's cute girlfriend is also engaged to him? And what does that make little Akane here?"

"Single, thankfully," Akane answered before anyone else could.

"Akane is not engaged to anyone at the moment...that I know of," Kimiko answered, "But she has been spending a lot of time with some friends of hers, one of whom is sort-of like a boy, and I believe that they have been having quite a bit of fun together, though I can't be too specific..."

"But I thought Akane was interested in Koko-chan," Hitome remarked.

"W-What?" Kodachi reacted, "Mother!"

"Um...excuse me?" Akane tentatively asked.

"Well," Godai remarked, "You did just admit to spending time with her a while back, yes? And just how intimate was this encounter, dare we ask?"

"Ahhh..." both young girls responded, but with very different expressions of reluctance.

"Godai-san," Trieste began, "It was because of Akane's regrettable behavior that we wanted to come to you and make a formal apology. I know that wrong was done on both sides, but it hardly excuses what Akane did, even if Kodachi provoked the encounter by her intrusion in my student's room after hours..."

"You did what?" Tatewaki started to sit up and glare at Akane, "I have long suspected you of some such perfidy, but to seduce my own sister...!"

"Tatewaki!" Kodachi cried out in dismay.

"Tachi," Hitome said sharply, "That is enough. What is done is done, and in any event, it remains the personal business of your sister and Akane.

"Huh?" responded Tatewaki, Kodachi and Akane.

"Son," Godai spoke up in a manly tone, "It may be hard for you to accept that your sister has a personal life of her own, but believe me when I say that it is always best to accept things as they are rather than attempt to change them into what you wish that they would be. Take my own life for example...all those years ago when I was competing for the attention of your mother against the likes of Saotome and that French guy, right before I realized that if I was going to have any hope of winning her heart then it would have to be up to Hitome to accept me on her own terms. You can't make a person love you no matter how much you try. If it is meant to happen then it will happen, and that is all that can be said upon the subject."

"Well said, Godai-san," Kimiko smiled, "You certainly have gained wisdom since the old days when you were so obsessed about haircuts and went around with those scissors of yours threatening to give us all haircuts."

"Yes indeed," Godai smiled, "I was a very different man in those days, but I grew into an even more foolish one over the years. I became obsessed with business and neglected my wife and children, throwing myself into my research into plant extracts, and in time I took for granted the extraordinary gift that I had in my family, even fooling around for a time just to prove my virility in my own eyes. I tell you truthfully, Trieste-san, that I do not know what would have become of me if you had not intervened on that day when you and little Kasumi, when you saved Hitome from my stupidity and neglect and made me aware of just how wrong I was to spend all my time away from their company. I might have even succumbed to my own work, and who knows what that might have eventually led to?"

"One cannot say the shape of a future path that we never took, Godai-kun," Trieste replied, "Destiny is fluid and our actions determine our fate. When one life intersects with another a change in the flow is always to be expected."

"Just so," Godai nodded sagely, "I remember little Kasumi when she was just a wee thing trotting at your heels like a dutiful puppy, and I've no doubt that she has matured into a beautiful young lady, the kind that any man would be proud to claim as his own. You are not to be blamed for treasuring her, Tachi-  
kun, for I am sure that she is one to be treasured. But if she is not destined to be yours, then wisdom dictates that you accept this as the judgement of the fates..."

"Father...how can I?" Tatewaki asked, "I love her..."

"You don't love her," Akane spoke up again, "You only love the things about her that everyone with eyes can see, but that's not really love, Tatewaki, that's just desire, and if Kasumi doesn't love you back, then you can't really claim to be the one for her, now can you?"

"Ah?" Tatewaki asked, then looked away with a deeply troubled expression.

"And who are you to lecture anyone on desire, may I ask?" Kodachi shot back, surprising herself with her own boldness, "You who takes what she wants without bothering to take into account the sentiments of the one whom you are intent on seducing?"

"Oh yeah?" Akane asked, "Is that why you tried ambushing me in my room...Kodachi-chan? You can't really claim to being an innocent over what happened, now can you?"

"Eh..." it was Kodachi's turn to glance away, her own conflicted feelings momentarily plain upon her own aristocratic features.

"Tatewaki-kun," Trieste spoke gently, "You proved yourself to be a man of character when you make your apology to me and to Kuonji Ukyo for your own misbehavior. Admitting to an error is the sign of a man, not a child or a fool. A fool is one who commits a grave error yet refuses to learn from the errors of his ways. If you wish to grow up to be a wiser man, like your father, then perhaps you should admit that Kasumi does not think of you as other than a friend, and to leave yourself open to the possibility that there is someone else better suited to be your mate. After all, a handsome and intelligent boy such as you must surely have other prospects worthy of being considered?"

"Well then," Godai clapped his hands together, "Perhaps the problem isn't so serious as you led me to think, Trieste-san. Perhaps we could work something out here that will put to rest these concerns and satisfy the honor of our two families. Perhaps an arranged marriage of, say, Tachi-kun and your Akane?"

"Huh?" Akane blanched.

"What?" Kimiko blinked.

"Father?" Tatewaki reacted.

"Father!" Kodachi spoke up in protest.

"Um...that is not quite what I had in mind..." Trieste delicately noted.

All at once Hitome flapped her fan and gave a merry laugh that sounded like, "HOHOHOHOHOHO!" before she smiled indulgently at her husband and said, "Godai-  
chan, you are such a kidder. That's what I've always loved about you, husband, your wickedly clever sense of humor."

"I did have everybody going there for a minute, now didn't I?" Godai grinned hugely, "But what about it, kids? You think the two of you might make a good couple?"

"Absolutely not!" Akane responded.

"I concur," Tatewaki replied, "Akane may be fair of form and bold of spirit, but she is not my type, especially given that she has...certain tastes for which I do not qualify, having entirely the wrong sort of equipment."

"Exactly," Kodachi nodded enthusiastically, "That harridan only likes members of her own sex as I can testi-ah...never mind..." she hastily looked away with her cheeks blushing crimson.

"Oh, I see how it is," Godai nodded sagely once again, "The girl bats from the other side of the cage I see. Oh well, never let it be said that I'm not a modern man with enlightened values..."

"Godai-kun," Kimiko spoke up again, "I meant what I said before about being willing to accept an engagement between a child of your house and mine, but...I fear it would not work out between your son and my daughter..."

"Quite all right, you don't have to explain anything," Godai smiled with a curious twinkle in his eyes, "I know Hitome-chan would also love to have our houses grow closer together..."

"Oh yes," Hitome nodded with an intensive smile, then she leaned closer to her husband and once again used the fan to conceal the lower part of her face as the two of them whispered something together, then both came away smiling as benevolently as the Buddha.

"I would also be glad if it were possible for Hitome-chan and me to become much closer together," Kimiko started to reply.

"Indeed," Trieste agreed, "But friendships should not require the bonds of marriage to signify our closeness. I myself have been accepted into the Tendo family because I am both ally and friend, and I even consider Akane to be like the daughter I lost so long ago in a different life. If two houses become joined through the love of their members, then it is a glorious thing to be celebrated..."

"Couldn't agree with you more, Sensei," Godai said sagely, "Which is why I thought we could at least consider a different possibility, one that satisfies honor and recognizes the interests of both respective parties."

"Oh?" Kimiko asked, "You have something else in mind?"

"We do indeed," Hitome said brightly, "So tell us, Kimiko-chan...just how forward thinking are you in this modern age of new ideas and concepts?"

"Ah...well," Kimiko shrugged, "As you know, I've always been a somewhat...unconventional person..."

"Then perhaps an unconventional idea is the solution we seek," Godai noted, "Since the offending parties here were our respective daughters, it seems only right that we formalize things a bit to save face and redeem honor...so therefore we propose that you engage your Akane to our daughter, Kodachi and that they become iinazuke."

There was dead silence in the room, punctuated only when an eavesdropping Ninja fainted in his place of concealment, but then everyone else in the room besides Godai and Hitome cried out, "NANI-?!"

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Unconventional Engagements: shadowmane

Akane must break the news to Shampoo and Ukyo next time while Ranma and his lovers sort out their own feelings after awakening from the bliss of their three-way orgy, but can everyone pull their act together in time to face the Golden Pair in combat? And what will Soun say when he gets the news of his youngest daughter's "engagement," or is Godai pulling the wool over everyone's eyes, including Tatewaki? Be here next time for: "Engage and Parry," or, "Skating Out on Our Engagement!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	30. Chapter 30

Jedi Kasumi30

Jedi Kasumi

(A Star Wars/Ranma Crossover)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

WARNING-SOME ROUGH LANGUAGE AND COARSE PROFANITY AHEAD, WITH LOTS OF SUGGESTIVE COMMENTARY THAT MAY BE DEEPED INAPPROPRIATE FOR YOUNGERS AND TALIBAN STUDENTS.  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

(Editor's note: It has recently come to my attention that George Lucas has expressly stated in the previews of the next Star Wars movie his views that a Jedi Knight can never allow strong feelings to rule their conscious being,  
not anger or hate or fear or even LOVE! As this is a plainly ridiculous philosophy, very much diametrically opposed to my own view, I am in the somewhat awkward position of disagreeing with the Star Wars creator on a very fundamental part of his own concept. In good conscience I cannot agree with Lucas that Love should be forbidden to the Jedi, and therefore I must respectfully thumb my nose at the jerk and tell him to take a hike for the purposes of this story. I'm using Eastern concepts here anyway, and though Jedi may accept abject poverty like a Buddhist monk, it is recognized that Love is a universal emotion and can NEVER be banished from the human psyche. If you ask me, revisionism such as this is what gave Phantom Menace a bad name, and do I need to say the word "Metachlorines" to make the point that a fanfic author is entitled to take dramatic license where he deems it necessary? Just thought I'd state this for the record...)

Episode Thirty:

The Wrong Way Home

Having stunned the Tendos with his declaration of intent to engage Akane to Kodachi Kuno, Godai next plans to make a call to Soun Tendo in order to explain his real intentions, while Akane, Kodachi,  
Tatewaki, Kimiko and Trieste attempt to sort out Their own feelings on this matter...

Meanwhile,  
back at the dojo,  
Ranma has been getting a vigorous education from his own two able-bodied fianc es, Nabiki and Kasumi, who have finally succumbed to exhaustion from their passionate exertions, quite unaware of these peculiar events happening at the Kuno mansion...

Ukyo and Shampoo, on the other hand, are in training to defeat the dreaded Golden Pair in Martial Arts Figure Skating and are likewise Ignorant to the perilous situation in which their friend, Akane, has currently become entangled...

Akane, having Pledged herself to Ukyo, now finds herself in an untenable situation of her own ironic making, engaged to a girl whom she sexually molested a couple of months ago after Kodachi attempted to ambush her in her own bedroom, ignorant of the Consequences of presenting herself to the girl-crazy Force Master like a blue-plate dinner special...

Trieste and Kimiko,  
on the other hand, are caught unprepared for these events and must sort matters out on their own, unaware that the men in their lives are plotting mischief of a different Sort behind their backs as they are soon to discover...

Soun Tendo paused to regard the telephone, which was just then ringing as he was in the process of passing through the hallway. Ordinarily Kimiko or Kasumi would answer the thing, but being alone and the man of the house he opted to take the initiative, hoping it would not be a telemarketer out to sell him something (and as his wife and daughters could testify, Soun had almost no sales resistance whatsoever).

"Mushi-Mushi," he said politely, "Who is this?"

To his complete surprise the voice on the other end of the line was not only familiar but irritatingly so, "Skinny, is that you? Long time no hear from, Bro."

Soun half removed the phone from his ear as he glared at it and said, "Godai-  
kun? Is that you?"

"The one and only," came the ingratiatingly cheerful response of the barrel-  
chested, scissors-wielding nemesis of Furinkan High from Soun's own misplaced childhood, "Thought you'd forgotten all about me after all this time, eh Man?"

"No," Soun said levelly, "But I have been working on it."

"Hey, don't be that way, Skinny," Godai Kuno responded, "Fact is I was calling you up to talk business. Say, did you know your wives stopped in to chat with me and the Mrs., and they brought little Akane with them?"

"Wives?" Soun arched a bushy eyebrow at this, but then he blushed in comprehension, hastily responding, "I don't know what you mean. I have only one wife, Trieste-san is a welcome member of my family, but that is all she is..."

"Oh yeah, sure she is," Godai pleasantly scoffed, "A cute honey like that who your wife all but fawns all over and you're telling me you're not getting any of that action? C'mon, pull the other leg! A man would have to be dumb and blind not to see what's going down here, Skinny ol' buddy."

As a matter of fact, Soun knew perfectly well what Godai was implying, and knew how much of the accusation was true, but there was no way this side of Hades that he was ever going to admit to that on an open party line, "So...what did my wives-AH-I mean Kimiko and Trieste have to say to you?"

"They didn't tell you what they were coming over for?" Godai tch-tched, "Man, that's wicked! Seems your little Akane got into some kind of a mess with my Kodachi, and your ladies thought it might provoke a scandal and wanted to apologize..."

"What-AGAIN?" Soun faintly moaned in dreadful apprehension.

"Oh, you mean it's happened before?" Godai asked in sympathetic tones.

"Um...never mind that," Soun averred, "Just...what exactly-no, scratch that. The less I know of the details the better for my blood pressure. I'm so sorry, Godai-san, my Akane...she's going through this phase and..."

"Can't keep her hand out of the nookie, huh?" Godai remarked more bluntly than Soun would have liked, "Well...welcome to the club. Seems my little Koko-chan has been spreading it around a little herself over at that all-girls school she's been attending. And here I thought Saint Hebereke would be a nice, stable environment to help her avoid trouble..."

"You mean...you too?" Soun blinked, both amazed and horrified at the implications.

"Yeah, think it's something spreading around, like a virus?" Godai asked, "Of course Koko-chan thinks I don't really know what she's been up to, but some of the girls she's been playing around with are the daughters of some friends of mine, and...well...it gets kind of expensive after a while having to hush up that many people."

"I'm sorry to hear this," Soun said with complete sincerity, "We've had to plead on bended knees ourselves to stave off the wrath of some of the parents of the girls that my Akane...well...you understand how it is?"

"Hey, I'm with you there completely," Godai duly noted, "Well, the deal is this...your ladies were eager to try and stave off a possible split with us, but Hitome and me...we've been kind of discussing what to do about little Kodachi for a while now. You see...back when Hitome was still a little...you know...before she took her medicine and got therapy and trained with Trieste-san to learn how to channel her emotions more constructively. Well...back when she was still a pretty abusive bitch mistreating our kids because I was such a selfish louse that I ignored them and looked the other way...Kodachi's never completely been able to forgive us, know what I mean? My fault really, I wish I'd been a better father when it really counted. Koko-chan's just got all these latent aggressive issues that she needs to work out, so I was wondering...you think you could help her?"

"I don't really know," Soun replied, "But I'll do whatever I can if it will make things better for you and your daughter."

"That's what I always liked about you, Skinny," Godai said with unmixed affection, "You were always a straight shooter. Even when you didn't know what the right thing was, you still wanted to do it. Well, this is how it stands. Your wife and Trieste-san don't know this, but I just played a little trick on them, and on our daughters too. You want in on this deal or not?"

Soun blinked, "What? You mean deceive my own family? Over what?"

"Oh, nothing too radical," Godai said, "Hitome and I just agreed to maybe, like, engage Kodachi to Akane for a lark. You know, sort-of play-like, just to see if we'd get a reaction."

It took Soun a moment to get his eyebrows under control, but his mustache was noticeably curling along the edges, "You WHAT?"

"Hey, calm down! Like I said, it was a joke, y'know? Like back in the old days when we used to be kids playing pranks on one another, like that time Picardin Piccolo and me tied you up and left you hanging in the girl's showers, or that other time we hooked you up on that blind date with Kuonji Yumi, and you got stuck with her in that elevator on the Tokyo towers right about the time it got hit by that freaky black lightning thing? Or that other time I shaved off your mustache then gave you that fake one and the cigar and told the girls that you were doing a Groucho Marx impression? Or that other time when you went to the costume ball looking like Toshiro Mofune?"

"That was Toshiro Mofune," Soun patiently, "He was doing an autograph tour and people got the two of us confused with one another."

"Oh yeah," Godai amended, "People really did get you two mixed up, even that Happosai guy, your gramps, when he showed up wound up hauling off the wrong player. You never did tell me how you wound up on that movie stage doing Toshiro's part, though..."

"I've been trying to live it down ever since," Soun said patiently, his grip upon the phone turning white-knuckled as the memories flooded back of the numerous cruel pranks that had been played upon him by the likes of Godai Kuno.

"Well, anyway," Godai resumed, "The deal is this, we engaged our daughters together-temporarily-as an excuse to get Koko-chan out of the house more often to where she might actually try spending more time around girls her own age under circumstances that don't involve shaving cream and a bull whip. Not that I mind Koko-chan turning out to be the spitting image of her mother, but a father has to worry sometimes that his only daughter will never really settle down and marry...to a boy, that is. You see what I'm saying?"

"Unfortunately I do," Soun began to relax by a fraction so that he no longer seemed ready to crush the phone receiver into powder, "And you think pretending to engage them is the answer?"

"Well, can you think of a better way of getting them to spend some time together where they don't wind up terrorizing the neighborhood?" Godai reasoned, "And if they hit it off, so what? Means we solve both our problems at the same time, eh? But if they decide to give up on girls and go back to boys..."

For the first time during the entire conversation Soun began to smile, "I see...you mean pair two predatory birds together in the hopes that they will regulate the behavior of one another. Of course this could also mean that they team up and become a more effective pair of predators..."

"We'll cross that if it comes up," Godai noted, "So...you in for this gig? I can sweeten the pie if you like, throw in a few concessions if you need convincing."

"What sort of concessions?" Soun asked, then stood rigidly to attention with eyebrows climbing to his hairline as he blandly stated, "That much?"

"Hey, it's no less than the dowry I'd offer some guy who wanted to marry Kodachi in a conventional sense," Godai reasoned, "And when it comes to our daughters' futures, well...who can put a price on that? And besides, we're only doing it for a lark until we think of something better, right?"

"B-But to engage them...they're both women..." Soun argued.

"Hey, aren't you the guy who's offering his two older daughters to one guy?" Godai countered.

"Um...you make a very good point," Soun blinked, "How did you hear about...?"

"Your ladies were a little more forthcoming than I think even they meant to be," Godai explained, "So...is Saotome's boy such hot stuff that he can handle two women at the same time?"

"Well," Soun said dubiously, "To tell the truth, I'm not sure if he's handling them or they are handling him..." he glanced uncomfortably towards the dojo, where he had "accidentally" discovered the threesome in the act of vigorous coitus and elected to retreat to the security of the house rather than to risk intruding on their interlude, even if Ranma did seem a bit overwhelmed at the degree of affection that Nabiki and Kasumi were lavishing upon him...and each other...

"Heh, kinda figured it'd be that way," Godai chuckled, "So...you in or out on this one? I'd understand if you don't want to play along with pretending to be serious about this engagement business, especially if you think it might upset your ladies, since they tried putting me off by saying they'd have to consult with you about this..."

"Really?" Soun remarked with a curious expression, what for him passed as almost thoughtful, "They said that?"

"Well, Hitome thinks it's just a stalling tactic on their part, but I thought I'd fill you in so you'd have time to think things over before they tell you all about the 'Crazy Scheme' of Kuno Godai to hitch your daughter to another girl. Actually, I was thinking of seriously hitching Tatewaki to Akane, but they seemed hostile to the idea, so Hitome made the switch suggestion, and I agreed that it was a good one. How about you?"

"So, Hitome said that did she?" Soun smiled again, "Interesting."

"So, is that a yes or a no answer?"

Soun seriously considered it. Like most Japanese men he fancied himself the Lord of his Castle and Master of his fate, but in reality he knew that it was the women in the family who did most of the work and who made most of the decisions. Rarely did Soun do anything without consulting with Kimiko, and though Trieste was nominally a "houseguest-slash-adopted sister" in their house, she still wielded considerable latitude, and decisions of her making generally stood as though she were the real ruler of the household. The chance to upset the ruling order, even symbolically, was altogether tempting, and it caused Soun to silently nod the more he thought it over.

"All right then, I'm in," Soun replied, "Provided we give Akane and Kodachi the option of bowing out in the end in favor of more preferable suitors."

"Agreed," Godai nodded, "Better to let the kids do most of the work anyway, then we'll know what to do about them. In the meantime, here's what I have in mind, and try remembering this, because this is how I want you to act when you see Kimiko-chan and Trieste..."

Soun listened ad Godai outlined his plans, his smile increasing by the moment as he got the gist of the general outline. It was ingenious, fiendishly so, and Soun almost wept at the audacity of the proposal. Of course he reminded himself that it was for the good of his daughters so as to salve his ego and fatherly pride lest anyone think that he was taking advantage of the situation to connive to teach his women an abject lesson. Such a thing would be so petty as to be beneath any self-respecting Martial Artist, and Soun was nothing if not upright about his martial arts. The mere fact that he was playing a prank at the expense of his ladies was merely incidental since they could take a joke as well as the next pair of housewives, and just because Soun often felt a bit left out on their shenanigans, even taken for granted at times, had nothing to do with it, no way, not in the least.

Still and all, the thought of what their expressions would be like when they heard the news from his end...well, that would be simply priceless, and what else was a dutiful husband to do if not to keep his women on the occasional short leash (just like they managed to do with him the other 24/7) just to liven things up a bit in the sleepy township known simply as Nerima...

Akane walked like someone in a daze all the way back from the Kuno mansion, an expression easily matched by her reluctant companion, an equally stunned and quite dubious looking Kuno Kodachi. The two girls walked side-by-side without actually looking at one another, only stealing occasional glances out of the corner of their eyes as though one or both of them might bolt and run away at any second. What hung between them unspoken and unwanted was a little word that either girl found strange when applied to the other.

Iinazuke.

Behind them Kimiko and Trieste walked side-by-side with no less confounded expressions, the Jedi Knight and Tendo matron both having disquieted views about what had just happened during their visit with the Kunos. In plainest terms the two older women were stunned, which was saying a lot considering their usual mental resilience.

At length Trieste finally managed to say, "Akane-chan...Kodachi-chan...I am so sorry. I had no sense that a thing like this would happen..."

"You had no sense of it, Sensei?" Akane blurted out, turning another full glance towards Kodachi and wondering for the fiftieth time how she was going to explain this one to Ukyo and Shampoo.

Kodachi was just as wary as she gave Akane a sharp look back, padding along silently and wondering why she was even going along with the whole crazy affair. Just being this near to Akane terrified her in ways that she could not put into concrete terms, and yet she meekly walked at the side of her predatory Tendo suitor, wondering how long it would take before Akane tried to put the moves on her and force Kodachi to yield in submission...

"Kodachi-chan," Kimiko spoke directly to the other girl, "You mother and I are friends, and as such you know that I would never force you to do anything that was against your nature..."

"Oh...it is quite all right, Auntie," Kodachi tried to sound light and casual but her voice shook as she spoke, betraying the nervousness that she was feeling, "If Sensei Trieste believes that I should train with you at your dojo, then I suppose that I could manage to get by with this...especially since my parents all but made it an order."

"Your brother did not seem too happy about the matter," Trieste noted in dull understatement.

"No, I fear not," Kodachi turned and stared resolutely at the sidewalk down which they were headed, "Tachi has always been a rather sensitive soul, and his concern for me would be quite touching were it not misplaced as I am perfectly able to look after my own welfare..."

That was a bald-faced lie and everyone there could sense it, including Akane, who glanced at Kodachi again and sympathetically winced before asking, "Sensei...you know it can hardly be legal for two women to marry, no matter what Godai-san said regarding ancient Samurai traditions that predate the post-Meiji era. Maybe at one time it was legal for two women to be married..."

"As you wish you could do with Kuonji-san?" Kimiko noted with a gentle smile of tacit understanding.

Akane sighed again, "That's not the point, Mom...I mean, arranged marriages are barbaric anyway. We ought to be able to marry whoever we like without alienating both of our families, and I'll bet Kodachi here would rather marry Nabiki than me anyway..."

"Are you now taking it upon yourself to speak on my behalf?" Kodachi responded archly.

"You know what I mean," Akane grunted, "C'mon, Dachi...I like you and I think you're real sexy and all that, but I've got a thing going down in another area, and...I just don't need the hassles, okay? I mean, don't you have somebody you want to cuddle up with in the middle of the night?"

"Um...yes, several," Kodachi glanced away and pretended to take interest in the local flora and fauna, thinking of the girls on her Gymnastics team of whom she was particularly fond, and the way that she delighted in getting them down on their knees and begging for her mercy...

"There, you see?" Akane turned back to her mother and teacher, "Forcing us to get engaged like this isn't fair to Kodachi, let alone to me. I mean, she's a pretty hot number and I'm sure she has guys she has to beat off with a club chasing her cute ass, but..."

"Would you mind not talking like that in my presence?" Kodachi asked with a bit of frost in her tone and expression.

"Huh?" Akane glanced at the other girl in puzzlement, "Like what?"

"Like you were some common guttural snipe from the sewers without an ounce of breeding to your credit," Kodachi responded almost imperiously, "You describe me in terms that make me sound like some cheap fleshpot from the Shinjuku district, but I happen to be a lady..."

"Well, yeah, I kinda noticed that," Akane said dryly, adding with a faint leer, "And I already know those are real and not falsies you're wearing, and you're pretty tight where it counts when take a finger, wet it, then stick it up your..."

"Enough!" Kodachi declared, almost shivering as mental images formed that belied her pretended indifference, "It is plain why this could never work even if you were the right gender. You speak your mind a bit too freely and you don't edit your thoughts, you just blurt out whatever comes to mind in regards to me. Well, I expect a lot more than that from the person with whom I am expected to be in a mature relationship, and how Kuonji can stand to put up with you...well, no, I suppose it's not such a big mystery seeing as she is as much-if not more-of a Tomboy as you appear to be..."

"Tomboy, huh?" Akane regarded the dark haired girl beside her, favoring her with a curious blend of irritation and amusement, "So what do you call a Gymnast who breaks into the rooms of other girls and tries to beat them up so they won't compete with her during your matches? Is winning by default your idea of behaving like a lady?"

Kodachi glanced away at this as if lacking a good response line, and into the silence that followed this both girls seemed to silently take a new appraisal of one another, even as Trieste and Kimiko exchanged looks of their own that wordlessly conveyed their sentiments on this matter.

**You know,** Kimiko tentatively began, **Hearing them talk this way...they could almost make a very nice couple...**

**Mother!** Akane at once broke in with a telepathic protest.

**Your mother means well, Akane-chan,** Trieste replied, **But let us reserve mention of this matter until we discuss it with your father. Hopefully he will help us put right this business so that we can go back to your regular training. In the meantime, treat Kodachi nice and consider her as you would a fellow student...**

**A fellow student?** Akane protested, **She isn't even properly Force trained, Sensei!**

**That is why we should conduct the rest of this discussion audibly,** Trieste replied, then accompanied thoughts with deeds by saying, "Let us hope that matters can be set right when we inform your father about these events, Akane-  
chan. Until then, Kodachi-chan, please consider yourself our guest and a new initiate student for our dojo, if you wish to accept our teachings."

"You mean you wish to teach me as you did Tatewaki?" Kodachi asked, "This mysterious Force that you and my mother talk so often about?"

"No, I'm afraid that would not be too prudent at this stage of your development," Trieste replied, "The Force requires a balance of mind and body that you do not presently possess, Kuno-san, though perhaps with some intensive training in mind and body integration you could gain a new understanding of the workings of the Force as you already apply it in your martial arts routines. There are limits beyond which it would not be safe to teach you, just as there is for your brother, who is not the master of his own emotional complex. If anything I believe that I taught too much to Tatewaki, more than he could handle given his outbursts just now and the difficulty he was evidencing in controlling his impulses."

"Why is that really important, Sensei?" Akane asked, "What you said before about strong emotions..."

"Emotions are an essential part of harnessing and controlling the Force, Akane-  
chan," Kimiko explained for the benefit of the two younger women, "The intellect can only work so far in channeling the energies of the mind and body, but emotions are what give the will its true power and focus. You approach the Force with a clear heart and a clean mind, operating with clear intentions not interrupted by negative influences. To wield the Force as a Jedi Master is not a halfway measure..."

"A Jedi must always be wary of strong emotions precisely because they can overmaster your will and turn even the most perfect intentions into results you did not imagine," Trieste explained, "Anger, Fear and Hate are complex emotions that create disharmony and imbalance, destroying the balance that is needed for a Jedi to walk in state with the Light, leaving one open and vulnerable to influence by the Dark side."

"I've often wondered about that," Kodachi remarked, "My mother...she had such difficulties when I was little, but then you came along and she changed for the better. I've never really understood how you achieved this, Auntie...um...Sensei?"

"Well, it wasn't easy, I assure you," Trieste replied, "There are no easy solutions to life, but your mother proved to be an able student for the things I had to teach her, and once I showed her the way she did the rest for herself. All living beings have the inherent ability to heal themselves, Kodachi-chan, when they are afflicted by a disturbed and fragmentary mindset...much like a computer whose operating system has flaws that require patching back together."

"With a machine you would reboot and reload damaged software," Kodachi noted, "But a human being is far more complex than any other type of machine..."

"Indeed," Trieste noted with approval, "If you are intelligent enough to understand that, then perhaps you might appreciate the process that I used to help your mother flush away her fears and realize her own inner beauty. Many societies and cultures are familiar with the concept that is called the Rapture, a mystical phenomenon by which a person directly experiences their own higher consciousness in what is also known as Satori, and in that moment of heightened awareness one is directly open to the Force and its flow throughout the universe. The sensation is transitional and only lasts for a few minutes, but in that time one can become renewed in spirit and gain a connection to the Universe at large that remains with you long after you return to normal consciousness. An empathic bond is formed through integration of the mind and soul, and while you do regain the ability to function normally in society, you also retain that bond for as long as you walk in grace with those around you."

"Is it hard to achieve this state, Sensei?" Akane asked.

"Oh, not hard, Akane-chan," Trieste replied, "Not at all. What it involves is surrendering the ego to the will of the Force, which is only as difficult as you make it since not everyone can trust that easily or surrender their ego without also letting go of the things which they most value. Your sisters both have experienced Satori at different times...though with Kasumi the act of surrender comes more naturally than for Nabiki. You experienced it once yourself when you were younger, but it is a difficult mindset to hold onto since it requires no effort, and this universe provides far too many distractions that tempt us away from the path of grace towards self-absorption with the illusion of the Maya."

"Maya, a Sanskrit word meaning Illusion," Kodachi fathomed, "The concept that the Universe of form is but a dream created in the mind of the Buddha..."

"That is an excellent summary," Trieste nodded with approval, "We Jedi believed that the universe of substance that we feel and observe with our crude senses is only an illusion insofar as solid matter being nothing more than a projection of the Force itself in a more finite aspect. Atoms are nothing more than packets of quantum energy that project tiny force-fields, and linked together in molecular chains these force fields are what comprise the larger clumps of matter that we can observe with the eye or detect with our other senses. Such objects are generally quite permeable by the Force itself, and so we largely ignore them, concentrating upon what is Real and less on what is Illusion."

"I don't know if I can do that, Sensei," Akane replied, "I mean...look at everything as just a bunch of energy fields. I know that we can feel the Force a lot stronger when we're surrounded by living things, but inanimate matter just feels kinda spongy. I like living energy when it's packaged nicely..."

"So we have noticed," Kimiko remarked with a wry glance towards Kodachi, allowing herself a moment to admire the younger girl's compact, well-curved body before reminding herself that she was old enough to be the girl's body, then glancing at Trieste, whose body she was altogether familiar with and with whom she felt much closer than any sister.

"I'm not asking you to ignore the different values of the world of materialism and living essence, Akane-chan," Trieste explained, "But please take into consideration the fact that all physical matter is but transitional energy. Atoms form when Quantum energy is shaped by a universal constant into a static field, and if you alter the constant even slightly you can release that energy into different forms, both destructive and constructive. That is the power that a true Jedi wields, far more spectacular than the simple Telekinetic tricks and mind games that you know how to facilitate. That is why it is dangerous for a Jedi to stray from the path and leave themselves vulnerable to temptation. The Dark side lurks in the shadows waiting to lure us down the path of such destruction as you could not imagine, and it is very easy to mistake that path for one of righteousness if you do not perceive the cause and effect behind your own actions."

"I...don't quite get it," Akane admitted.

"I do," Kodachi glanced over her shoulder and said, "Mother says the path to the Dark side is quick and easy, a way of expediency and opportunism rather than formed of sacrifice and hard work. Rather like skipping ahead to the ending of a novel rather than to cross the path written out on every page in order to get to the ending. I never quite understood what my mother meant before...yet you say this is the means by which you cured her of her affliction?"

"I only showed Hitome the path and guided her the first few leagues," Trieste replied, "She did the rest for herself because she wanted to change, to become a better person. She knew inwardly that what she was doing before was hurting you deeply but she could not stop herself because of her inner demons and compulsions. Now you carry inner demons of your own as a consequence of her actions, Kodachi, and no one has shown you a better way to live just yet. That is why your mother has asked me to guide you on the same path that she has taken, to show you a way of life that is not haunted by inner voices, where you can actually feel good about yourself and not have to resort to cheating in order to prove your worth before others."

"If...if you can show me what you did for my mother...I would be grateful," Kodachi admitted.

"And it would be both my honor and my privilege," Trieste nodded in satisfaction, pausing to glance on ahead before she added, "There was a time early in the history of the Jedi when we were not quite as structured in our beliefs and it was thought that everyone could be their own inner guide on the path to enlightenment, much as your Buddhists tend to think upon your world. We discovered the hard way that letting a seeker stray on the path without guidance leads to serious complications, and as a little knowledge can be dangerous, so too do the Jedi arts carry within them the potential for cataclysmic effects if put towards unfavorable ends. A Jedi who takes the easy path often comes to a very bad end, and one who squanders their arts in mindless self-indulgence is her own worst enemy. Such is the path that was taken by the Sith when they first reared their ugly heads and attempted to subvert the natural order. At great cost were the Sith put down, but the results of that struggle caused the Jedi Council to be formed to guard against a return of the Sith, and to insure that Jedi Knights were never again so tempted."

"But you said the Council doesn't exist anymore," Akane pointed out.

"That is correct," Trieste nodded, "I am the last living member of the Council, at least to the best of my awareness. As such I can give testimony to how the good intentions we set out to achieve went so badly awry, when one of us set down the harsh Oath that Jedi were to swear renouncing all strong emotions such as Anger, Fear, Hate and even Love..."

"Love?" both Akane and Kodachi reacted with a start.

"Yes...love," Trieste sighed, "Such was our folly, such was our fate. We believed that Love was as dangerous to us as Fear and Hate because it is the most intense emotion that can be felt by any living being. The Council at the time was governed by a S'lilth, a race of reptilian origins, to whom the concept of romantic love was utterly unknown, and procreation was largely a function to be performed rather than enjoyed. In what amounts to an act of monumental chauvinism he convinced the other members of the council at the time to go along with his total ban on all intense emotions, hoping by this means to suppress the urge to follow the path of the Dark side. A code of strict poverty was enforced and all Jedi had to renounced material possessions beyond those needed for basic survival, living like monks without homes or families to weigh upon us, always at liberty to move about and lay down our lives if necessary for the good of others. Much as your renunciate orders here on Earth we believed that we could function on the pure emotions of altruism and compassion while ignoring distractions that might cause us to drift towards any sort of emotional attachment. A Jedi, it was believed, should only be concerned with the preservation of life as a healer, taking life only when necessary, and never to act from baser emotions such as avarice and greed. In a word, to live like monks and to function like robots, even to the point where some rather arrogantly presumed that we could be interchanged like components in some greater machine, a folly that was in part what led to the Clone Wars, which in turn brought about our eventual destruction."

"But how could that be, Sensei?" Akane asked, "If the Jedi were so powerful..."

"Power is nothing without the wisdom to know how to use it, Akane-chan," Trieste replied, "And out mistake was in forgetting that emotions are not something you can so easily banish or even regulate without consequences. A young man, one whom I have named to you before, came to an impasse in his life where he had to choose between his Jedi oath and the power of his own heart. He...chose badly...and he went over to the Dark side, and like an angry wrath he turned his vengeance upon us for suppressing his need and causing the eventual loss that he suffered, turning him into a creature of hate and wrath who then sought out other Jedi and eliminated other members of our order."

"How awful," Kodachi said in sympathy.

"Yes, it was a terrible lesson in the folly of thinking that we could banish humanity from human consciousness," Trieste replied, "I learned from this abject lesson that some emotions only become more intense the harder you seek to bury them, that Love is a universal Force unto itself, and that we were born to be companions to one another, to feel the love that we share for other living beings and not seek to deny our pure emotions. Love is a positive aspect of the Force...you cannot get more pure than love when it is expressed free of jealousy, fear or baser desires. Agape in its highest essence is the true Satori we experience when two souls merge together into a union...even more in group marriages, which were quite common on my home planet. In effect I returned to my roots and finally accepted my own humanity when I became an exile on your world. Kimiko-chan and Soun helped me to discover my lost humanity, and Kasumi taught me the way in which one can be both a Jedi and a Woman. Her example inspired me to rethink a great many assumptions that once were accepted canon among the Jedi Council, particularly with that old toad who acted as wise father to all of us, Yoda," she smiled in remembered fondness.

"One cannot live their lives as if Love does not exist, my friend," Kimiko smiled gently, "That was the mistake your people made, trying to keep the lid on the emotions of a teenager, which any mother could have warned you is a recipe for failure."

"So noted," Trieste smiled serenely, "However, this is where we come back to your recent behavior, Akane-chan. It is one thing to acknowledge love and lust in a healthy sense of self-expression, it is quite another thing when you overindulge and carry a thing to the point of pure obsession."

"Ah..." Akane winced. She had rather hoped that her Sensei would have forgotten all about that for the moment.

"And you, young lady," Trieste addressed herself towards Kodachi, "Cheating to obtain your desires is exactly the sort of misbehavior that I was describing before. You need to learn what it truly means to act like a lady and show respect for your own teaching."

"Um...ah..." Kodachi also glanced away to hide her own wince, realizing then and there that she was in for some very extensive and methodical lessons in behavioral modification.

"Ah, home at last," Kimiko said brightly, "Now we can get to the bottom of this nonsense Godai cooked up and have Soun-chan render the whole matter moot and academic..."

"One moment," Trieste paused at the gates and glanced towards the rear area of the compound, remaining silent for a few seconds before nodding, "Well...the wards are in place around the dojo, rather what we expected. It seems that Kasumi followed our advice after all and talked Ranma and Nabiki into joining her for the Siege Perilous."

"You mean...?" Kimiko asked rather hopefully.

"I believe so," Trieste replied, "Since I have not been able to monitor her thoughts for the past hour, I would assume that Kasumi is doing much as she did when she initiated Shampoo into the Jedi arts. Normally I would be concerned, but since we have agreed that it is long since time that those three resolve the air of sexual tension that has existed between them almost from the onset of their first meeting..."

"Huh?" Akane blinked, "You mean...? Ewwww!"

"What is it?" Kodachi asked, glancing from one party to the other, "What is transpiring within your dojo?"

"Oh, nothing much," Kimiko said airily with a smile, "My daughters are just making sure that their future husband is compatible with the both of them, nothing much to be concerned about either way."

"Once before, when Kasumi was just a bit younger," Trieste began, "She took it upon herself to show Shampoo the means of achieving Satori by using the Siege Perilous as her guide...only...she discovered the hard way that there were unforeseen...complications that result from the use of the Siege in such a manner. That is why the Council forbade using the technique at anything but the more advanced stages of one's training, when one would theoretically have the emotional maturity to resist its influence as it is a technique which lowers inhibitions and removes the normal restraints that we all have in place to regulate our behavior and impulses. The Siege acted upon the innocent altruism of my apprentice and removed the barriers of culture and upbringing that separated her from Shampoo, leaving two very excited and sexually innocent teenagers to explore the curious sensations that took over their awareness. One thing led to another, and by the end of the encounter Shampoo and Kasumi were a lot closer together as students of the way, and for a brief time they were even Oath Sisters, the next best thing to being married."

"Married?" Akane blinked, "Shampoo...and Kasumi?"

"Fortunately the oath was not the binding sort that constitutes true Amazon marriage," Trieste continued, "And, at any rate, they were both too young to be settling down like that. There was still so much that Kasumi had to learn, but as a result of her sharing, Shampoo became a Force Master and was able to study under her great-grandmother's watchful supervision. The experience effected a great change in her own personality since she used to be a rather arrogant sort, always ready to rub a defeated opponent's nose in the mud while disparaging those she regarded as weaker than herself. It pleases me greatly to see what a fine young woman she has started to mature into, and one day she might even make an excellent Jedi. Something to consider at any rate, though it may also be that the Force has a different fate in mind for her. Time can only tell one way or another."

"Yeah, well...whoever she settles down with is gonna be a lucky person," Akane sighed, "Shampoo's terrific, and I can see a little why Oneechan would have liked her...but...Ranma? And Nabiki?"

"You don't think your sister is good enough for a man, Akane?" Kimiko gently teased.

"No, that's not it at all, Mom!" Akane protested, "I just mean...why him? Why with Kasumi?"

"The decision was for your sisters to make," Trieste replied, quirking her lips into a tentative smile before adding, "Although the main choice, I believe, was Kasumi's. The Siege will tell if they are truly compatible or not and whether it is wise to pair them into a group scene, two wives for one husband. Not all teenagers have the wisdom and maturity to understand what all is involved in forming such a sacred circle...in point of fact, most societies make allowances for such things, but the marriage is usually decided by the parents. In recent times the practice of arranged marriage has fallen into disfavor, though, so we...elected to give your sisters this option to see for themselves if it is the path that Fate has chosen."

"And the real test won't even come until after the sex has run its course," Kimiko smiled as she tried to imagine the sight of her two daughters making out with Ranma, only to have her view blocked out by the barriers surrounding the dojo, "When the effect of their hormones no longer affects their judgement, then they should be clear-minded enough to make their own decisions in a more rational sense. I wish that I could be there to offer them counsel...but you're right, Sister, this is something they have to work through on their own for better or for worse."

"That is as it must be," Trieste said before starting forward once again, "Come, Soun is in the back, and he is alone. Nodoka and Genma must have returned to their own home. We should be able to discuss matters fairly evenly without too much distraction."

When they got to the house itself, however, they were surprised to find Soun waiting for them with a pleasantly beaming expression. As Soun was not given to smiling very often, this disturbed his ladies greatly, the more so when he looked at their newest guest and said, "Why, is this Kuno Kodachi? Splendid to meet with you at last, young lady! Your father called and gave me the good news, so I suppose I should get used to calling you daughter, yes?"

"Eh?" Kodachi blinked, wondering if she should follow her instincts and turn around to flee very fast. After all, one never knew what it would be like to share a domicile with such an obvious madman...

"Dad?" Akane reacted with dismay, unprepared as she was for **this** type of a fatherly reaction.

"Akane," her father was at once both stern and lordly, "You take good care of your iinazuke. I want you to respect and cherish one another, and to be mindful that she comes from a good family, so you will behave like a lady around her and not bring shame upon this household."

"Soun-chan," Kimiko said uneasily, "Are you feeling well?"

"You already know about the engagement?" Trieste asked, coming as near as anyone had seen her approach complete dismay at this particularly favorable reaction.

"Know about it?" Soun asked mildly, "I'm ecstatic! My little girl is settling down at last to raise her own family, and after I'd all but given up hope...ah well. Never mind, we can discuss the details later, but for now I'd like the chance to get to know you better, young lady. After all, if you and Akane are to be engaged..."

"Engaged?" Kodachi asked, looking very close to fainting on the spot.

"Come along, inside everyone," Soun cheerfully urged as he turned about and retreated back into the house, leaving the four women at the doorstep to collectively blink their eyes with a huge sweatdrop.

Kimiko turned to Trieste and said, "Does it seem to you as if Soun-chan may be up to something?"

"I definitely have that impression," Trieste replied, "And since we both know that Soun-chan has all the subtlety of a lead brick...I think we should get to the bottom of this at once."

"I completely agree," Kimiko replied, turning to a stunned Akane and Kodachi before saying, "Come along, dears, and be careful what you say as your father does not quite seem to be himself at the moment. I'm sure we'll have everything sorted out in a few more minutes, depending on whether or not Soun-chan can make a sufficiently satisfying account for his rather odd behavior just now.

Akane just stood where she was for another few seconds before casting another wary glance at her "iinazuke," seeing the same degree of uncertainty was mirrored in Kodachi's eyes, further tempered by a degree of anxiety that was rather hard to place. Akane wanted to do something to reassure the other girl that she was not about to bite her, but instead just sighed and followed her mothers into the house, followed a moment later by an even more reluctant Kodachi...

Neither one of them noticed the shadow that flitted from the gateway to the street at large, nor did they hear Taro's faintly murmured comment, "Iinazuke, huh? Since when did that happen? This definitely bears a closer examination, but first I'd better check in with the Boss and let him know what I just found out about the Tendos..."

With that purpose in mind he turned and started back down the way from which he had come, unaware that he, too, was being observed by a pair of watchful eyes, following with a soft chuckle to himself as he said, "So, the boy thinks he can set his mark on that little cutie, eh? Well, she's a mighty fine package all right, but what's this stuff about engagements? Doesn't anybody believe in good old honest fooling around anymore? Does it always have to be so serious? I tell you, young people these days and their romantic notions..."

He paused as he glanced at the dojo then smiled, "Well, at least those three have the right idea. Now if only they'd show that much consideration for a poor old man who hasn't had much lately...ah well. Ranma, my boy, you don't know how lucky you are having cuties who are that eager to please you. Most girls won't even look at you right and proper unless you get down on your knees and sweet talk 'em. Ah...for the old days when I was still a man of youthful prospects..."

With that thought in mind the ancient pervert made a leap towards the house, intending to listen in on the juicy gossip about what the youngest of the Tendo siblings had been up to this time, and from the indications he had seen so far, Happosai judged that this would be a particularly juicy encounter. Nothing livened up his ancient, perverse way of thinking like hearing about the latest travails of the talented young Akane, a nice girl with the best of intentions who could hardly be faulted for liking poontang over beefcake, and in Happosai's opinion more girls should be just like her in that regard since most men were sleazes in the not-so-humble opinion of the Anything Goes master. No respect for a lady, it was simply shocking to his way of thinking, but at least that Akane stood up for herself and didn't take crap from anybody. Happosai could really respect that in a lady, even if he still intended to steal every bit of lingerie in her possession, just for the principle of the thing, of course...

And meanwhile, back in the dojo, a trio of amorous teenagers continued about their lustful ways quite oblivious to these proceedings and blissfully unaware of the storm that was about to descend upon their dojo...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/The Superstring Theory of Karma: shadowmane

Ranma, Nabiki and Kasumi have a serious discussion in the aftermath of their orgy, and Akane is forced to **explain** herself to Ukyo and Shampoo, and yes, the Golden Pair will be in there somewhere, so strap on your skates and make ready for the Ice Storm in, "Frosty Relations," or, "To Have or Have Knots!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	31. Chapter 31

Jedi Kasumi31

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

LIME ALERT-CONTAINS BOTH HOT AND MILD SCENES OF A GRAPHIC, ADULT NATURE INVOLVING BOTH HETERO AND LESBIAN SEX AND IS THEREFORE NOT FOR THOSE OF A REPRESSIVE MINDSET. THIS IS A TALIBAN-  
FREE ZONE, SO THOSE WHO FIND SUCH TOPICS AS NUDITY AND FRANK SEXUAL DISCUSSIONS TABOO CAN FIND SOME OTHER FANFIC TO ENTERTAIN THEM, AND NO ONE WHO IS EASILY SHOCKED BY THE SIMULATED ACTIONS OF FICTIONAL CHARACTERS WHO ARE ALLEGEDLY UNDER THE AGE OF CONSENT,  
BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE ENGAGED, THIS SORT OF THING WOULD BE LEGAL IN JAPAN...SORT OF.  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Episode Thirty-One:

Like a Virgin

In the wake of recent events concerning the matter of Akane's forcible seduction of Kodachi Kuno, Trieste and Kimiko sought to make restitution with the Kuno family only to unwittingly get the youngest Tendo Force Master engaged to the emotionally troubled gymnast...

This engagement,  
intended as a "prank"  
by Kodachi's father, Godai,  
has the tacit support of Soun Tendo who, unbeknownst to his "wives," enjoys a Good gag at their expense now and then, even if This jest comes at the expense of Akane, whose past history of aggressive lesbian activities have been a source of deep distress to both of the fathers...

Not knowing that their "engagement" is viewed as a jest by both men,  
Kodachi and Akane reluctantly have renewed their association, nervously abiding a hesitant truce while matters get sorted out by their mothers, and meanwhile Kodachi has been accepted by Trieste for low-level training in the same Jedi arts that once healed the mental distress of her suicide-prone mother...

Unbeknownst to Kodachi, these activities have come to the attention of the Sith Apprentice named Pantyhose Taro, who now seeks to exploit this situation for his own nefarious purposes and at the behest of his master, the Sith Lord Darth Purge...

Meanwhile Akane is now forced to consider how she will explain these matters to her two best friends, Shampoo and Ukyo who might take a dim view of her recent engagement,  
even absorbed as they are with their training for their upcoming match against the Golden Pair of Kolhotz High School...

And meanwhile,  
blissfully unaware of these developments, the romantic trio of Ranma, Kasumi and Nabiki begin to recover from their recent all-out orgy, emerging from the Siege Perilous to the lights of day with a new understanding of the emotions that have only now been expressed between them...

The first thing Ranma was conscious about as he started to awake from a blissful slumber was that there was an odd taste in his mouth and he was smelling a bit gamely, even if the aroma was infinitely preferable to the more familiar scent of his father laying beside him. Smelly old man or panda fur never had quite a pungent scent as this, however, almost perfume like with a hint of parsimons. He was just attempting to sort out what that meant when his mind began to uncloud and memories started to unfold before him, and then he sat bolt upright and stared in disbelief at his surroundings.

It was like the perpetual gray of morning twilight, just before the sun fully rose over the horizon, casting just enough light for Ranma to see his two sleeping companions stretched out by his side, all three of them curled up for warmth against one another with Ranma in the center with Kasumi on the one hand and Nabiki on the other. All three of them were nude, this fact registered in his brain with the delayed effect of a hand grenade about to go off and alert every one of his senses of this startling revelation. Surprisingly the expected emotional firestorm failed to develop, leaving Ranma faintly dazed and confused as he regarded his two sleeping iinazuke, marveling that he wasn't spurting a nosebleed at the dizzying sense of what they had shared together on the previous evening.

Ranma took a moment to study both women, his lack of fear no less surprising than if he had awaken to find himself nestled between two cats and without a panic attack as might normally be expected. He could remember vividly what they had done together and what it had felt like to make love to these two dynamic beauties, the quixotic Nabiki and the ethereally serene Kasumi cuddled up beside him like sleeping angels and looking so much at peace with themselves that he was loath to risk waking them and disturbing their contentment. Seeing them from so close an angle he was struck once again by their beauty, by the little things that attracted him to both young women, those qualities that distinguished the two sisters and which made Ranma altogether aware that they were sisters, little things he noticed close up that made them both such an intriguing study. For one thing he was drawn to the shape of their eyelashes, now closed, and the upward tilt of their noses, the slight bronze cast of Kasumi's face indicating much time spent in the open, while the rest of her body was creamy colored and much less tanned than Nabiki's taut little body. Their muscle tone was superb and he could not detect a flaw to the curving perfection of their bodies, whole areas of which he was now intimately familiar. He marveled at this strange attraction that he felt to both of these older young women, and the feelings that they inspired within him, a kind of nurturing protectiveness and admiration for their better qualities. He could easily catalogue a list of things that made him appreciate their proximity to him, and yet there was a kind of quiet terror there as well, as if he knew implicitly that these women had the power to both heal and hurt him with their slightest off-hand comment.

It was incredible to think of the things which they had done with him only a short while ago, and yet it felt so right to be with them now that he could not feel as if there were anything wrong with this odd situation. He had heard stories from guys who bragged about having two women in bed together but he had never understood what that meant until this moment. Knowing they had generously gifted him with an experience unlike any other in his young life made him want to cuddle them in his arms and thank them profusely, a gesture that he was certain his father would frown upon but which Ranma knew to be honest gratitude, even if such an admission might seem less than fully "manly."

But still he found it hard to regret any bit of what had just happened. The experience had taught him a wealth of information concerning what men and women were truly all about, and now he finally understood just why both girls had been so eager to accommodate him with their company, and why he felt so drawn to their sides in spite of their both being capable fighters more than able to look after themselves, a trait he attributed to few other people besides himself.

And yet even as he thought this he sensed a shadow moving in the background, and raising his gaze he caught sight of a lumbering figure of menace violating the sanctity of the dojo, moving so stealthily that even the ponderous tread of his massive feet barely registered on Ranma's hearing.

"You?" he declared as he shot to his feet, instantly assuming a fighting crouch and heedless of his undressed state as he confronted the menacing shadow with a defiant, "What do you want, creep?"

"That should be obvious," Darth Purge hissed in amusement, "And how thoughtful of you to strip yourselves down of all weapons and defenses. This will be so easy I almost hate myself for doing what I must."

Ranma instantly had no doubt of the lumbering lizard-man's intentions and firmed up his resolve with a lowly growled, "Not over my dead body you don't!"

"You speak as though you had a say in the matter," the lizard-man rumbled, "But I assure you, Jedi Apprentice, you do not."

Ranma took an instant to surge forward in attack, but before he could move one muscle group the burly Sith lord raised a three-fingered hand and halted the young human in his tracks. Ranma tensed and struggled only to find his body paralyzed, and in that moment he knew the true terror of the shadowy Dark Lord, the horrifying evil and hate that his presence manifested, and in that instant he knew what true helplessness felt like, and fear was quick to follow this as he realized his peril, standing alone and naked with his unconscious fianc es laying in innocence at his feet, quite utterly defenseless.

"Now you see the true power of the Dark Side, Boy?" Purge declared as he produced his light saber and activated the blade, casting an unholy red light over everything around them, "How could you possibly hope to withstand one of my nature?"

Ranma sweated and strained as he attempted to break free from the Dark Lord, his muscles knotting into chords as he fought a rising panic that threatened to unman him, even as he saw the blade raised to threaten him with its ruby tip hovering inches from his breastbone. Ranma stared in perverse fascination of the thing, even as his senses reeled and his heart recoiled from the cold and bitter **wrongness** in the air, the sense of violation of all that was good and natural, causing the bile to rise in his throat with a growing sense of utter and complete revulsion. His instincts cried out to break free, as though a hungry horde of cats were licking at his skin from all over, but still he could not break free of Purge's grip upon his body. For an instant he felt the heat of the blazing lightsaber threatening to burn a hole through his center, only to see Purge hesitate after the slightest of flickering moments.

"No," the slit-eyed lizard man replied, pulling back from his intended thrust, "This would be too easy, too quick, too pathetically merciful. I believe that I have a better fate in store for you, young Jedi."

"Ngh..." mewed a sleepy Nabiki as she started to sit up and rub the sleep out of her eyes, "Ranma-kun...what...?"

Ranma tried to cry out a warning, to say anything that would alert Nabiki as to her danger, but quick as a snake the crimson lightsaber moved and struck home at its new target, causing Nabiki to glance down in surprise as she saw its blade sink deep into her breastbone, the intense heat hissing as it evaported her heart in a crimson boil that left a fist-sized hole in the middle of her chest. Nabiki had only a moment to gawp in stupefied amazement, and then the pressure seared her lungs and burst through her mouth in a rush of fire, and then without a word she fell backward breathing plasma, her whole body catching fire as she fell away lifeless before Ranma's horrified eyes...

And then he screamed at last, giving voice to break himself free of his paralysis, and that was when he woke with a start and looked around in confusion, finding no sign of Purge anywhere, and daylight all around them.

"Huh?" a voice startled out of a deep sleep, glancing to the side with a puzzled, "Ranma-kun?"

"Nabiki?" Ranma turned to see the girl beside him was quite whole, alive and unhurt in any way, and without pausing to think about it he put a hand to the space between her breasts and felt her beating heart there, at which point he sighed and said, "Thank Kami..."

"Huh?" Nabiki was still sleep-addled and not quite fully alert as she glanced down at herself in dull confusion. Then with a yelp she sat upright and moved a meter away from Ranma, hugging herself with her arms and gasping, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? Why am I NAKED?"

"Hmmm?" another sleepy voice responded, and then Kasumi opened her eyes and looked around in a state of mild confusion that took more than a moment to sort out, and then she too sat up and hugged herself with a sharply exclaimed, "OH MY!"

"Uh...guys?" Ranma looked from one girl to the other and then glanced around, unconsciously stretching out with his feelings to make sure there were no looming shadows in the immediate vicinity, "You both all right?"

"All right?" Nabiki asked, "I'M NAKED! How the hell is that all right? And why the hell are you guys naked too? I..." her expression fell, her eyes going round with the delayed effect of realization.

"Oh dear," Kasumi slowly lowered her arms and took sight of the dojo, "It happened again, didn't it? Just like with Shampoo..."

"Huh?" Nabiki turned and looked at her older sister, "What do you mean again, Oneechan? Kasumi...is there something you forgot to tell us about this Siege Perilous thing?"

"Er...actually, there is," Kasumi said nervously, "I'm so sorry, I meant to explain to you before. The Siege was created to effect a protective environment where one could...um...lower ones barriers and discard the normal boundaries that separate us from one another..."

"Lower our barriers?" Nabiki asked skeptically, "You mean...like drop our clothing...and our inhibitions?"

"Well...that has been known to happen," Kasumi allowed with a somewhat sheepish expression, "But the intent was to make it possible for us to...um...get to know more about each other..."

"Well...it sure did the job for that, didn't it?" Nabiki snorted, her tone indicating rising agitation bordering on hysteria, "And what a great way for you to seduce the both of us, both Ranma and YOUR OWN SISTER!"

"Um...could you mind not shouting bout it, Imotochan?" Nabiki asked with a lowering of her head and shoulders in a meek display of contrite humility, "It wasn't as if I...planned for this to happen..."

"OH NO?" Nabiki scoffed, rising to her knees as she barked at her older sister, "WELL IT SURE THE HELL WORKED OUT THAT WAY, DIDN'T IT?"

"Nabiki!" Ranma surprised himself by speaking up just then.

"What do you want?" Nabiki snapped in his direction, and ordinarily Ranma would have flinched at the tone she used, but this time he crossed the room and did the only thing he knew how to do under these circumstances, he followed his instincts and threw his arms around to hug her tightly to his bosom.

For a moment it was as if time itself stood still, and Nabiki tensed up and remained utterly rigid for a few brief seconds before relaxing moderately, becoming aware of the boy in whose arms she was currently embraced, and then she heard him moaning softly in her ear, "Thank Kami you're okay...don't ever scare me like that again, will you?"

"Huh?" Nabiki asked in a mild daze, wondering if she were imagining things or had Ranma's voice actually shaken a bit with emotion, almost a sob of relief as he held her tightly.

"Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked with a puzzled expression.

"It...it's nothing," Ranma said as he gently separated from Nabiki without fully letting her go, "Just glad you're all right. I mean...with all that happened...whooeeehhh..." he glanced away, "Ain't like I'm scared or nothing...I'm just...glad, that's all."

For a moment Nabiki was speechless, then she glanced at Kasumi, who looked back with equal parts of confusion and amazement. Then both of them glanced at their discarded robes and thought back to the night before, each reliving their memories in the blurry haze of bodies and souls joining together. Their thoughts briefly meshed before each sister reasserted her individuality and regained a measure of composure, then Nabiki frowned and looked soberly at Kasumi, compelling the older girl to give her a heartfelt apologetic expression.

"You didn't really plan for that to happen...did you?" she asked in a level tone of voice.

"Um...not really," Kasumi replied, "My intent was to bring the three of us much closer together..."

Nabiki gave a short, bitter laugh, "Yeah, well you sure called it on that, Oneechan...now what the heck are we supposed to tell our folks if they find us like this? You're my sister, for Kami's sakes! My sister!"

"Ah...well..." Kasumi winced, her expression one of guilty admission.

"Aw, forget about it," Ranma urged.

"Forget about it?" Nabiki looked at him incredulously.

"I mean...we all got through it alive, right?" Ranma said, then paused before saying, "No, that didn't come out right. I mean...I never saw any of that coming, but I ain't sorry it happened. I mean...uh well..."

He fell silent as he saw the expressions both women turned upon him, and then he drew back a bit with a nervous grin as though only just then realizing that anything more he said was bound to reflect badly upon him, and after all that had just happened the last thing he wanted was to get on the bad side of both women.

"So...you like that, did you?" Nabiki asked with an almost neutral expression.

"Well, Ranma-kun is our fianc e," Kasumi reflected, "And at least now we know that we are...um...sexually compatible..."

"Yeah," Nabiki turned a cross look towards Kasumi, "Next time, though, I'd like a little advanced warning before you order me to strip, Sis. You couldn't have been more obvious about that is you'd slipped yen notes down my g-string and did a wolf whistle."

"Oh my," Kasumi glanced away, "This is...so awkward..."

"Heh...you're telling me?" Ranma nervously swallowed, wondering why a timely interruption could not happen right then to spare him having to make an account for his actions...then he thought of his vision and inwardly shuddered...

"Boss?" Taro asked, noticing his mentor was unusually silent in his posture of meditation.

Purge blinked his nictitating eyelids then glanced at his remaining disciple, "What is it?"

"Um..." Taro only hesitated for a fraction of an instant, then frowned and silently assured himself that he was not feeling nervousness, only caution, "Thought you wanted to know...Duck boy is back from his mission."

"He has brought the goods?" Purge asked, then flicked his tongue in satisfaction, "Good. He would not dare fail me again, not after the last time. Another piece of my plan now moves closer to fruition."

"He says it wasn't easy sneaking it out of the shop with the old lady always guarding it," Taro noted, holding up a container, "But it looks like the real deal here. You can check for yourself if you want..."

"Not necessary," Purge replied, "I will know if it is genuine or not, and if not, then I will test it out on Mousse."

"Um...right," Taro paused before asking the real question that was foremost in his mind, "I don't mean to pry, Boss, but...where were you right now? I mean, I've seen you meditate before, but..."

"It was not meditation," Purge replied, "I was...projecting my thoughts into the subconscious of another. I wished to test his defenses to see how far he has come along in his training."

"And?" Taro asked with raised eyebrows.

"As expected," Purge replied, "The boy has holes large enough to drive a Star Destroyer through. It was simplicity itself to plant a suggestion in his mind that touched upon his deepest fears, ones that would not trigger his dangerous alternate personality. It is as I have long believed, Trieste wastes her time with a clod who lacks the sensitivity needed to become a truly formidable Jedi."

"That's good, right?" Taro asked, "That means you can crush him when you like?"

"When it suits my designs," Purge acknowledged, "Patience is a quality my kind has in great abundance, unlike you humans, and when we strike it is always unexpected. You would do well to study this and add it to your arsenal if you wish to go up against the old perverted human once again rather than overestimate your abilities and come to failure."

"I'll keep that in mind, Boss," Taro replied, "You know I never forget a lesson."

"Good for you," Purge raised his chin and looked down his squat reptilian nose at his pupil, "Haven't you somewhere to be right now?"

"Naw, no hurry on that front," Taro replied, "I'll know how to find her when it suits me, and right now she's with the Tendos making sweet with her **fianc e**," he managed to accent the word so as to make it all the more derisive.

"I will never fully understand you humans," Purge admitted, "But at least you are learning."

"Hey, I had a good teach, the nastiest one in the business, right?"

"Flattery will avail you nothing around here," Purge replied, "It is results that interest me, and I await with interest to see what the fruit of your labors will be with this Kuno Kodachi."

"Trust me, Boss," Taro replied, "You want her brother, you deal with the sister first. Some humans are pretty attacked to our relations...not like me, I ain't got nobody but myself I can rely on."

"And that is why I trust you in this endeavor," Purge noted slyly, "You love no one but yourself, and even there you are unforgiving."

"The better to crush my enemies and leave 'em weeping I always say," Taro replied, turning away with a sly look, "And believe me, I'm gonna enjoy turning that frail into my own personal love slave, unless she surprises me and proves she's worthy of something better."

"Better than you?" Purge inquired.

"Naw, better than being a bootlicker," Taro replied, "Or a bush licker, either way, right about now I'll bet she'll be wanting a real man in her life instead of that Tomboy Jedi freak, and I'll be the man to take her away from all this and give her a real place, either at my side or at my feet, and I may even let her get to chose which is which when I get through initiating her into her own dark side."

"Then I await the results of your personal pet project," Purge nodded with interest, "Just be sure you do not become too distracted by your hormones from achieving our true objective."

"Like I could forget that part, Boss?" Taro gave a nasty smile relishing the impending hunt and thinking with special malice how this would reflect on Kuonji, who even now he knew was having her own share of **interesting** encounters...

Shampoo groaned as Ukyo worked her over, shuddering softly as she felt the chef's study hands ply their efforts to sensitive skin, working the body oils into each nook and cranny with an almost vindictive relish, clearly delighting in finally having the voluptuous Amazon completely at her mercy.

"Just remember," Ukyo said over the mewing noises of her hapless victim, "You screw up out there, you make the both of us look bad, and there ain't no way I'm losing to that Senzenen creep, so try and pay attention, and for pity's sakes! Stay away from that Azusa!"

"Shampoo remember," the Amazon replied, though it sounded more like a low groan as Ukyo's hands went deeper and deeper, "This one will be careful and not let fuzzy-headed thief girl distract Shampoo from stupid rich boy."

"Yeah, sure," Ukyo snorted, "That's what you said the last time, before that one girl cut across your path and you tracked her with your eyes instead of watching where your skates were crossing. You remember what the old woman said to the both of us after we got untangled?"

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo groaned softly, though whether she was agreeing with Ukyo or with the level of her treatment was impossible to determine.

"What am I gonna do with you, Sugar?" Ukyo asked in faint exasperation.

"This one have many good suggestions," Shampoo smiled as if to suggest a few telepathically.

Ukyo caught the flash of images and just smiled, "Some other time, maybe," she then slapped Shampoo on the fanny with the flat of her hand, "Okay, lazybones. That's enough of a massage for you, now you do me...and JUST a massage, got that? No hanky panky before breakfast."

"Ucchan no fair," Shampoo pouted as she got up off the towel-strewn bench that had been serving as a massage table, "This one only want to make nice to Ukyo, give maybe you nice breakfast between legs?"

She flashed Ukyo a sultry look and spread her legs to show off her clean-shaven pussy, but this time Ukyo was having none of the Amazon's seductive tricks, knowing full well that to give in so much as an inch to temptation would be to spend the whole morning screwing her brains out instead of concentrating on their impending school session.

"Nice try, Sugar," Ukyo said as she lay face-down upon the bench, "But you don't get off that easy. Besides, you're the one who said we need to take it slow, right?"

"Actually that was Spatula Girl's idea," Shampoo remarked as she poured lotion onto one hand then started to rub it onto Ukyo's backside, then at once her fingers worked their magic over tense muscles and firm flesh, kneading and applying that lotion to surface areas of Ukyo's body that did not normally see so much attention, "Shampoo just say she let Ukyo decide when she ready to screw. Ucchan want this one to always be one who is on top?"

"Not a chance, you little flirt," Ukyo smirked, enjoying the feeling of being pampered far too much to move from the spot, "You think I'm gonna let you waltz all over me the nest time around-ah-not that I'm saying that there'll be another time, mind you, just not gonna take my eye off of you while we're out there on the ice..."

"My, aren't the both of you looking cozy?" Cologne mused by way of announcing her presence.

"What do you want, old woman?" Ukyo frowned, "We got school in another hour, we can take the time to cool off after that torture session you just put us through..."

"What, a little light workout like that is getting you down?" Cologne asked innocently.

"Light workout?" Ukyo fought the temptation to rise up and glare at the source of her present agony (preferring instead to concentrate on the source of her current release), "You had us on inline roller skates with fifty kilo weights balanced on our shoulders, doing cartwheels and pirouettes for Kami's sakes! Then you had us scale a flight of a hundred steps while some nut went chasing a hat for his girlfriend, and we had to hop on both feet the whole way dragging sleds full of telephone books-WHICH YOU HAD US DELIVER, BY THE WAY-!"

"No need to thank me for looking out for your welfare," Cologne replied, "It's my duty as your trainer. Oh...and by the way, I got a call from the father of your friend Akane...such an interesting development, I have to marvel at the man's deviousness, I never knew he had it in them."

"What are you going on about?" Ukyo frowned, "What about Akane?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo ceased her lavishing attention to Ukyo's body to give her elder a concerned look, "Is Akane all right?"

"Oh, she's just fine," Cologne said a bit too casually for anyone to be fooled by her demeanor, "It's just that she got engaged to some person named Kuno Kodachi."

There was less than a three second pause before both chef and Cologne's heir simultaneously chorused, "ENGAGED...TO WHO-?" in tones that could be heard well onto the street level...

"Nabiki," Kasumi softly pleaded.

"Not a word, Kasumi," Nabiki said with a flat expression as she exited her bedroom, "As far as I'm concerned I'm going to pretend the whole thing never happened. You can try explaining it to me later...AFTER I see what Sensei has to say about your ideas of training."

"Um...actually," Kasumi hesitated.

"What?" Nabiki turned and glared at her normally beloved older sister.

"I...already spoke with Sensei...and with mother," Kasumi sheepishly replied, glancing away, "And it seems they...already knew about what happened..."

"And?" Nabiki arched and eyebrow.

"Daddy also knows about our little...um...oh my," Kasumi coughed politely, "But that is not the most unusual part of it all..."

"What?" Nabiki was too stunned to form a more coherent response to this, her mind reeling at the implications. Their parents knew...and Sensei? But that would mean...

"Actually...it's about Akane."

Nabiki blinked at this, her brain doing a complete reboot in a matter of mere seconds.

"Akane?"

"Akane," Kasumi replied, "She's...engaged."

"Engaged," Nabiki repeated, feeling a numbness sweeping over her, "To...Ranma?"

"No," Kasumi said, "Ranma is still our fianc e."

"Oh," Nabiki said in relief, followed abruptly by a return of her former irritation as she once more frowned at Kasumi over the "our" part attached to the word "fianc e."

"You see," Kasumi explained, "Last night...mother and Sensei went over to the Kuno mansion and..."

"The Kuno mansion?" Nabiki blinked, "You don't mean...Tatewaki? Akane will kill him!"

"Oh no," Kasumi explained, "Mister Kuno brought that up but it was rejected, so instead he engaged...someone else to Akane..."

"Someone else?" Nabiki knew that she was repeating the lines her sister was giving her but for the moment could not help that fact, instead remarking, "And mother went along with this? But...who?"

"Ah...well, it's just..." Kasumi seemed to be searching for the right words, then turned and gave Nabiki an apologetic, "Maybe you had better come to the breakfast table so you can see for yourself."

"Nani?" Nabiki blinked, giving Kasumi a vexed and puzzled expression.

Nonetheless when the two of them went downstairs the matter only became more confused for Nabiki as she saw who the other party was who was sitting at the table beside Akane, an invisible line separating the two as both were nervously glancing away as though afraid to acknowledge the presence of the other.

"Kodachi?" Nabiki blurted, surprised at seeing her friend in attendance.

"Er...hello, Nabiki-san," Kodachi gave her a fleeting smile before adding, "Fancy meeting you here..."

"I live here," Nabiki said, glancing at Akane and then slowly forcing her mind to put it all together, "You don't mean..."

"Nabiki," her father said with a casual ease that surprised her, "Say hello to your new sister-in-law, Akane's iinazuke."

"Say WHAT?" Nabiki reacted with a start, "Daddy, have you flipped?"

"Nabiki," her mother spoke sharply, "That is no way to address your father..."

"Sit down, Nabiki-chan," Trieste calmly instructed, her tone firm so as to leave one in no doubt that it was an order, "We are still sorting through these matters, and it is by no means decided, but that appears to be the consensus of both Kuno Godai and your father."

"But-but-but-but that's crazy!" Nabiki declared, "They're both girls, for Kami sakes!"

"Huh, you're a fine one to talk," Akane responded before thinking better of the matter.

"Huh?" Nabiki looked at her younger sister, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Akane replied, going back to picking at her food without really picking anything up with her chopsticks.

"Please sit down, Nabiki-chan," her mother urged, and this time Nabiki complied with her instructions.

"Okay," Nabiki grumbled as she pointedly ignored Kasumi, who sat down beside her, "So what happened? You guys set this up last night between yourselves?"

"It was not intentional on our part," Trieste replied, "That much I can assure you."

"Gee, what a coincidence that is," Nabiki remarked as she made a point of pausing to spoon some rice into her mouth, chewing it carefully and sipping some tea to watch it down before she added, "Seems something else that wasn't supposed to be intentional took place last night..."

"About time too," Akane remarked without looking up.

Nabiki crossly glared at her sister and said, "What do you know about it?"

"Oh...nothing," Akane replied, still not showing much evidence of an appetite this strange morning.

Nabiki stared at her sister then glanced from side to side to confirm a suspicion, then growled out a terse, "You mean...everybody knows what happened...including you, Kodachi?"

"Well," her erstwhile best friend remarked, "You weren't exactly...inconspicuous. Which reminds me...where is the fortunate boy who had you howling at the moon until the wee hours of the morning?"

On cure Ranma showed up, toweling down his hair before saying, "Sorry I'm late, Pop showed up and insisted on sparring. He's getting cleaned up now...guess he doesn't want mom smelling wet panda fur all over the place..."

"Good morning, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said brightly.

"Heh, morning, Kasumi," Ranma said before sitting down on the opposite side of Nabiki, "You guys leave enough for me? 'Cause I just know Pop'll steal anything that's left..."

"We made sure to spare as much for you as possible, Son-in-law," Kimiko replied, "After all you went through I'm sure you'll need your strength to replace that energy you expended keeping my little girls up way past their bed time."

"Mother," Kasumi replied, blushing a faint crimson along her cheeks.

Nabiki just stared in disbelief from side-to-side before noticing the casual way Ranma was behaving, as if nothing momentous had taken place the previous night. If anything he seemed a little too cheerful, and while he was hardly strutting like a peacock at the moment, Nabiki was a little too quick to perceive his actions as tantamount to preening like a Tomcat.

"So," Kodachi mused, "The conquering hero makes his entry."

"Oh...uh...hi," Ranma said as if just then noticing Kodachi.

Akane glared at him with more heat than her usual level of resentment, "Do you mind not staring at a guest? And I thought you had your hands full with my sisters."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Oh...um...that? Er...well..."

"Ranma," Soun spoke sternly, "Were you respectful to my little girls last night? Because I won't have you behaving disrespectfully to either Nabiki or Kasumi when you are married..."

"Oh, no problem there, Sir," Ranma replied, "I'll be very respectful to your daughters. Kasumi and Nabiki...um...well...they mean a lot to me, and they're really pretty special..."

"We know that you three will be very good for one another, Ranma-kun," Kimiko assured him, "You may be in for some adjustments along the way, but it's been obvious to both Soun and me that you make our little girls very, very happy.""

"Just be mindful that your activities do not interfere with your other training," Trieste said with serene aloofness, focusing her stare upon Nabiki before adding, "No doubt there will be many questions to be asked, but the time and place to discuss these matters will be after breakfast, before you children must be on your way to school for the morning."

"Oh gee, that's right," Akane remarked as if only just thinking up something important, "Kodachi has to get ready for her school, right? So I guess she should head back to the mansion..."

"Nonsense," Soun replied, "She can borrow one of your spare uniforms. I spoke with Kuno Godai last night and your father has agreed to let you transfer over to Furinkan so you can spend more time with Akane, isn't that nice, Kodachi-  
san?"

"What?" both Akane and Kodachi chorused together.

Nabiki was growing more confused and infuriated with the drift of this conversation and finally slammed her chopsticks down on the table, "What the heck is going on here? Who are you people, and what have you done with our parents?"

"Nabiki..." Trieste said softly.

"No, Darling," Kimiko replied, "I am her mother and I will handle this. Nabiki, to the dojo. Now."

"But...!" Nabiki started to protest.

"Now," her mother did not exactly shout the word, but the tone she used would have suited her early days as a drill sergeant in the self-defense forces.

"Nabiki?" Ranma asked uneasily.

"Just wait here, Ranma-kun," Nabiki told him while keeping her focus upon her mother.

Nabiki was feeling angry, confused, rebellious and not a little hurt by the way things were happening all around her, but she was too well trained to mistake that tone as a good time to assert her independence. She got up and left her half-eaten breakfast on the table as she trudged out into the garden following close on the trail of her mother. When at last they got to the dojo she was feeling more than a little bit miffed about this curt treatment that she was receiving when her mother surprised her by going to the weapons stand and fetching a pair of practice naginata, tossing one of them to Nabiki, then turning to face her with a resolute expression.

"Now then," Kimiko said, "Do you have something that you wish to say to me, young lady?"

Nabiki surprised herself by firming up her resolve before saying, "Yeah...I have something to say. Like what the hell is going on here? Did you set me up, Mom? With Ranma and Kasumi that is?"

"You mean did I plan for you to have sex with your sister?" Kimiko seemed to consider the question before saying, "I did foresee it as a possibility, but I didn't do anything to prevent it from happening, if that is what you mean."

"It's not, dammit!" Nabiki declared hotly, "How can you stand there and tell me you think it's okay for me to have sex with my own sister?"

"A very good question," Kimiko replied, then went into action, "Defend yourself!"

Nabiki almost did not react in time to block the attack of her mother's naginata, but once she deflected the first three strikes she had enough of a gap to vault back out of reach of the fourth attack, at which point she squared her stance and prepared herself to meet the inevitable rush that her mother staged as she came at her daughter with naginata thrusting at her middle.

"Very good," Kimiko said as she dodged back when Nabiki counter-attacked, "But your moves are too wild and you don't have control over your emotions..."

"Gee, what a surprise that is, you think?" Nabiki responded with a grunt as her own thrust was blocked and he was forced to disengage.

"You're old enough to know better than this, Nabiki," Kimiko paused to say before going in with an attack that caused the younger girl to stagger backwards and go on the defensive.

Nabiki rallied at once and came back with a tricky maneuver that nearly caught the older woman napping, and then Kimiko backed away and assumed a defensive crouch while Nabiki circled slowly with her naginata at the ready, looking for an opening while trying not to present one that might earn her a painful rap from the blunt end of her mother's weapon.

"So," Kimiko remarked into the tense silence that hung between them, "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?" Nabiki responded, not letting herself be distracted from her ready posture.

"Why Trieste-san and I allowed Kasumi to perform the Siege Perilous...even knowing that there was a risk of what could happen."

"You set us up for that?" Nabiki asked, "How could you, Mother?"

"All that we set up was the chance for you to get to explore your own emotions and your ties to Kasumi and Ranma," Kimiko replied, "You three did the rest between you, there was nothing predetermined about it. It was just as likely that nothing very significant would happen."

"You don't mind the fact that I just spent the night sleeping with my own sister?" Nabiki marveled.

"Does it bother you so much?" Kimiko asked, "You love Kasumi, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Nabiki shot back, "But just because I love Kasumi doesn't mean I want to sleep with her!"

"But you acted on your impulses, Child," Kimiko replied, "And that means, on some level, you really do want to sleep with her. Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes...but that's not the point!" Nabiki sputtered, then she had to duck fast as her mother came in with a swipes, followed by a leg-sweep that the younger girl only narrowly avoided.

"The point is that you think we let you down, eh?" Kimiko asked as she methodically backed Nabiki into a corner, "Did it ever occur to you that this decision was not easy for us, to permit Kasumi to take the risk that she did in getting to know you better?"

Nabiki was sweating and knew she was at a distinct disadvantage, but she refused to panic and instead spotted an opening, and like a shot she thrust her naginata forward, only to yank it back in time as Kimiko moved to block it. Her feint bought her time enough to leap backward up against the wall and with both feet planted there she **pushed** forward and over her mother's head, shooting up into a tumble that brought her around behind her mother within a second, and then with a backward kick Nabiki was able to tumble her mother back into the wall with the satisfaction of seeing the older woman stumble.

"Hah, now who's napping?" the younger Tendo girl snorted, "So why did you go through with this, and how the heck did you explain things to daddy?"

"Well," Kimiko pushed away from the wall and regained her poise, turning about and assuming a new ready attack posture, "Your father was upset at first when we explained matters to him, but after he heard the list of advantages and disadvantages that came with advancing your marital training, he came around to seeing that there were worst fates than for you to share a husband with your sister. And look at it from his perspective, you both gain a husband and you fulfill the obligation with the Saotomes for our families to be bound together, plus you and Kasumi can be together more often so long as Ranma is in the middle of your fun. Believe me, it is a relief to have someone else around here who is willing to do housework..."

"That's your idea of domestic bliss?" Nabiki said when a realization hit her and she stared blankly at her mother, "You mean...you...and..."

The butt-end of her mother's naginata rapped lightly against her jaw, causing Nabiki to stagger backward as her mother came forward again and forced the younger girl back up against the wall using the blade-end to "convince" her to remain motionless there. Kimiko then smiled and said, "Now you're catching on...but you're allowing your emotions to distract you. Trieste and I are like sisters, just like you and Kasumi, and yet we find our arrangement eminently suitable, thank you very much. Just because you haven't been paying close attention to what we grown-ups do with ourselves is no reason to act like a deer caught in a headlight, Nabiki-chan."

"Um..." Nabiki glanced down the length of the naginata then at her mother, realizing she was effectively pinned and with no easy escape route, at least that would not lead to pain of one sort or another, "So...what's your point again, Mom?"

Kimiko withdrew her naginata and rested the butt-end on the floor of the dojo, leaning upon it slightly as she responded, "You're angry because of what happened, and I suppose you have every right to feel upset over being cornered into it, but you can't pretend to be a complete innocent here. Trieste and I sounded you out long before this occurred, if you will recall..."

"You asked me if I'd consider sharing Ranma-kun with Kasumi," Nabiki shot back, "You didn't sound me out about whether I'd want to have sex with my own sister!"

"No, but that part you did on your own," Kimiko replied, "Once your inhibitions were down it was only natural that you would gravitate towards Kasumi. You have always looked up to her and admire her, and if she were not your sister it is still quite possible that you would still have loved her no less. You had reservations about making love to another woman, but was it only your fianc e's cursed form that you were thinking about? Might it not be possible that, even then, you were unconsciously considering the possibility that you and Kasumi might wind up together if you shared her with Ranma?"

"W-What?" Nabiki blinked, "Hold on now...you're making it sound like I was more jealous about sharing Kasumi..."

"Are the two not one in the same?" Kimiko gave her daughter a wry look and added, "It may surprise you to know that I was young once myself, and I've made more than my share of mistakes along the way, some of which I hope you never have to find out about, Nabiki-chan. Making mistakes is all a part of growing up, and it is quite possible that your sister made one by opting for something that you were not ready for, but perhaps it is because she wanted you to know how much she cares about you..."

"You mean...like enough to fuck me?" Nabiki said indelicately.

"Or to have you fuck her, as the case might be," Kimiko smiled, "In either event I am not disappointed in you, in either of you. If anything I am proud to see my little girls blossoming out into beautiful and mature young ladies. All right, so the timing was a bit premature, but are you going to stand there and tell me that you will never again want to spend another moment alone with Kasumi for fear of what happened happening again? Or that you will never consider letting your barriers down like that with her again? Then tell me, child...was it really so awful?"

"No," Nabiki replied, "It wasn't awful at all...in fact...I can remember enough of what went down to know that I was actually...happy."

"At making love to Kasumi as well as Ranma?" Kimiko asked, "Or just being held in your sister's arms like when you were a small girl and the two of you took care of one another?"

"Um...both..." Nabiki glanced down and for a moment she could not form a more coherent response to summarize her feelings in the matter.

"So...do we cancel the wedding reservations?" Kimiko asked, "Or can we move ahead admitting that we both have made mistakes in this matter and will try to learn from our errors?"

"Easy for you to say, Mom," Nabiki responded, "I...I..."

"You were shocked to find yourself wrapped up in this?" Kimiko asked.

"No...shocked that I was enjoying it," Nabiki grudgingly admitted, "But then I woke up and it just seemed...wrong...I mean...I'm so confused about it now...but Kasumi..."

"Your sister loves you very much," Kimiko moved forward and laid her hand upon Nabiki's shoulder, "There is no shame in admitting that you love her back. It takes more to make a marriage work than just fooling around and indulging your mating instincts, what's needed is honest desire and devotion. You have to think of the other partners in a marriage as being as important as satisfying your own needs, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. If you and Kasumi are to be co-wives for Ranma, then you are going to have to work out these differences and learn to put things aside that are less important than the greater union."

"You make it sound like I'm going up for a job interview," Nabiki sniffed, "Or joining the army or something..."

"In a way you are," Kimiko replied, "Being a wife is a very big job and responsibility, and you battle daily just to keep a roof over your head and see that all of the bills are paid in a timely manner, and then there are the children to take care of..."

"Children?" Nabiki blinked.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that?" Kimiko smiled, "Tell me, which of you would you rather see get pregnant first, you or Kasumi? Because I am eager to have grandchildren while I'm still young enough to bounce them on my knees and take them to go out and buy ice cream, and do you mean to stand there and tell me, child, that you've never thought about yourself as a mother?"

"Um...well..." Nabiki nervously fidgeted before conceding, "I...guess..."

"Only you'd rather finish your education first and work on getting a career?" Kimiko smiled, "Good girl. I always knew you were the levelheaded and practical one in our family. You must get that from me because you sure didn't get it from your father..."

"Ah...well..." Nabiki swallowed and unconsciously rubbed her belly with one hand, "I guess maybe eventually I could have some kids with Ranma...but if Kasumi wants to go first, then I'm sure she'll make an excellent mother..."

"Oh, absolutely," Kimiko nodded, "I've imagined her balancing a son on her lap for so long that the vision is practically a divine revelation, but she'll also have a daughter or two along the way, and I wonder how many you'll be having once you settle down with that randy future husband of yours? Ah, if I were twenty years younger I'd envy you...but then again, I'm quite happy with Soun-  
chan for my husband."

"Um...right," Nabiki conceded, then paused before adding, "I'm still not happy about the way this was pulled on me...and I don't think Ranma-kun had clue before last night what he was in for..."

"So tell me," Kimiko leaned forward with interest, "Was he good with you on the first time? Do you think he's trainable enough to improve with age, and are you afraid that he might come to care about one of you more than the other? Does he prefer you or does he like Kasumi better?"

"Mother!" Nabiki was only mildly shocked at this point to hear her parent asking such raunchy questions...but then again, her meter for the weird was already beyond the red zone, and so she had to silently concede that these were very good and tough-to-answer questions...

"Nabiki-chan?" a voice asked timidly from the sidelines.

Nabiki sighed and passed her naginata along to her mother, then turned to say, "Yes Oneechan?"

"Um..." Kasumi glanced down and hesitated before saying, "It is nearly time for you to go to school. Will you be wanting to clean yourself up some more or...?"

"No, I'm all right," Nabiki sighed, "Sorry about blowing up at you before, Oneechan, but...I'm still a little miffed at you. You could have handled things better last night, you know."

"I know," Kasumi sighed, "Can you forgive me?"

Nabiki exchanged a look with her mother before saying, "I'll think about it. Meanwhile I want to talk with Sensei about your use of the Siege Perilous to seduce your own sister."

"I am here," Trieste replied as she appeared from the shadow of the dojo.

"Gee, what a surprise," Nabiki managed to say without sounding too sarcastic, "Guess I don't need to repeat myself. I just want to say that it was a pretty sneaky, underhanded thing to do for someone who claims to walk on the light side of the Force..."

"I know," Trieste answered, "And I am prepared to do penance for my own presumption. It is simply that...one cannot fight biology, no matter how hard that you try. The mind may rule the body, but only so far, and to ignore your instincts can often be quite fatal."

"I'll try and keep that in mind the next time somebody scolds me for listening to my instincts," Nabiki duly noted, "Baser or otherwise."

"Ranma-kun is waiting for you outside, Imotochan," Kasumi noted, "If you want to talk with him, discuss what happened..."

"Maybe later," Nabiki murmured softly, "I can forgive the big lug since it was a first time for him, but if one or both of us becomes pregnant because of this..."

"Oh my," Kasumi blinked, "I...didn't take that into consideration..."

"Figured as much," Nabiki said as she moved past Kasumi, "Have to say, Sis, I never expected you to be the one who did her thinking with her hormones. We'll talk when I get back, and I'll sort things out with Ranma...but this business about Akane getting engaged to Kodachi..."

"Oh my, yes," Kasumi averred with an overtly troubled expression, "Father seems unusually pleased about it for some reason, but...I cannot believe that he actually intends for Akane to marry your friend..."

"He's up to something, no doubt about it," Nabiki agreed with a slight shudder, "And when Daddy gets an idea in his head...that's definitely the time to worry."

"You do know your father well, Nabiki-chan," Kimiko mused softly, "But one way or another, I intend to get to the bottom of this, one way or another..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Naginata Counseling Sessions: shadowmane

Ranma gets his say on the state of his dual engagement as matters FINALLY progress to the showdown with the dirty-AH-I mean the GOLDEN Pair (after, that is, Akane does some 'Splainin' to Ukyo and Shampoo about her **engagement** to Kodachi), but what will Ukyo do when she finds out just where Ryoga's been spending his evenings? Find out the answer to this and so much else in: "To Halve and Behold," or, "Couple Cleaving on the Edge!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	32. Chapter 32

Jedi Kasumi32

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

Episode Thirty-Two.

Heart of Ice

Having finally scored with the Tendo sisters,  
Ranma is now sorting out his actual feelings towards both Kasumi and Nabiki, having engaged in a lengthy three-way session under the influence of the Siege Perilous,  
which intensified their attraction to one another while lowering their normal inhibitions...

Ranma has found his affections growing towards his two older fianc es,  
even while Nabiki voices shock and extreme reaction to having had sex with her own sister. Nonetheless, her mother,  
Kimiko Tendo, implores that Nabiki be more accepting of the arrangement, which has met with the combined approval of both parents and elders...

Ever since the event of the three-  
way, Kasumi has been trying to mend fences with Nabiki, even while a new element has come into the life of their mutual sister, Akane, who-by a jest perpetrated by their mutual fathers-has become engaged to Kodachi Kuno, much to the dismay of Akane's other two girlfriends, Ukyo and Shampoo, who view this development with something less than calm and patient understanding...

"But Ucchan..."

"Don't Ucchan me, you, you hussy!" Ukyo snapped as the odd trio of Ukyo, Shampoo and Akane made their way to the Kolholtz gym-slash-ice rink, the former two doing their level best to give the latter girl a very cold shoulder.

"But I'm telling you guys it's all a big mistake!" Akane wailed in protest.

"Is very odd kind of mistake, yes?" Shampoo countered with a sniff, "Maybe Akane is tired of us and wants explore green fields with new Airen?"

"What?" Akane said in shock, "No way! Look, I didn't deliberately get engaged to Kodachi! It just sort of happened..."

"Just sort of happened?" Ukyo asked incredulously, "How do you 'just sort of' get engaged, mind telling me that, Sugar?"

"It was all our dads' idea!" Akane wailed, "Kodachi and me never set this up between us! We hardly even know each other! We're not in love or anything, so there's no reason to get jealous!"

"Hmph," Shampoo replied skeptically, "So Akane say, but you still sleep with Kodachi, yes?"

"One time!" Akane insisted, "It was just that one time, honest! I haven't slept with her since then..."

"So, maybe you'd like to get in more practice?" Ukyo asked rather archly, "Maybe the two of us aren't enough for you, you want to add a fourth girl to your harem, is that it?"

"What?" Akane blinked once again, "No way! It's you guys I want to sleep with, honest! You think I've been happy these last few days without you? No, I'm going crazy because we haven't been together!"

"A likely story," Shampoo sniffed cutely, "Maybe this one wrong about you all along, Akane. Maybe you not capable of settling down with just one or two girls, maybe you need variety to keep you happy."

"You're not being fair!" Akane protested, "Sure, I've played around a bit, but I want to commit, honest!"

"Then why don't you try committing yourself to your pony-tailed cutie?" Ukyo snapped, "Shampoo and I are busy, we got a skating match to get ready for, Sugar."

The young Force Master threw up her hands and said, "What is it going to take to convince you that I'm being sincere? You guys wouldn't even return my calls to you for the last two days..."

"Then why you no come tell us youself?" Shampoo countered, "Why we have to hear about you engagement from others?"

"I-I couldn't get away," Akane hesitated, "I tried to, honest..."

"Yeah, right," Ukyo snorted as they finally reached the Kolhotz sports gymnasium, "Like you think we're gonna fall for that old line, Tendo? Well, got news for you...with your kind of track record, your credibility ain't exactly at 100%, so if you'll excuse me, Shampoo and I have to get ready for our skating match, which you somehow conveniently forgot to help us out with like you promised..."

"For the love of the Kami..." Akane rolled her eyes with a "give me strength" expression, following the other two girls into the gym while groaning, "For the last time, this is the first time I could actually get away from the house by myself and...HEY!" she complained as she almost ran into her girlfriends, who both had halted in their tracks just a few steps beyond the side-entrance, "What's the matter with you guys, don't you know better than to...huh?"

Akane stopped talking as her eyes followed the twin stares of her two female companions, and then all three of them read the headline banner which proclaimed, "BIG MATCH AT KOLHOTZ TODAY, THE GOLDEN PAIR VERSUS THEIR 100TH COMPETITORS FOR THE PRIZE OF AZUSA'S DARLING VINCENT!"

"Say what?" Ukyo asked faintly.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed at the same subdued tone of voice.

"Vincent?" Akane rather more loudly reacted, "What the hell is that air-headed bimbo on about now?"

Shampoo turned her gaze from the overhead banner to one of a set of wall posters and nodded, "Maybe is this Shampoo see? This one think she know drawing...is very like someone name..."

"Ryoga-kun?" Ukyo snapped to attention, staring at a beautifully rendered illustration that did indeed look a lot like the bestial cursed form of her fellow Sith apprentice, "I don't believe it...she wouldn't...that...JACKASS!"

And with that proclamation she took off at a dead run, leaving Akane and Shampoo too exchange looks before hurrying to catch up with the chef, all three of them sensing the dread peril that was currently facing a certain lost boy who-until that moment-they had not even suspected was currently at the tender mercies of the kawaii kleptomaniac skater...

Nabiki looked up from doing her homework to say, "If you're going to sneak up on someone, Ranma-kun, try being a little more quiet about it."

To no real surprise she saw him drop down from a branch in the tree under which she sat to stare at her from an upside-down position, hanging by his toes like some oversized pigtailed bat while his face was only a couple of meters from her own.

"I didn't think I was making any noise, honest," he informed her, "So what gave me away?"

She half-smiled and pointed to her temple, "Your mind's too loud to shield out from me, Ranma-kun, and...some of the things I picked up were a little...intensive, if you know what I mean."

Ranma hastily averted his gaze but his face flushed crimson with more than just the haste of blood rushing downward.

"I...Um...I didn't mean..."

"That's all right," Nabiki replied with a nod, "If I was offended or...in any way upset with you, I wouldn't leave you in any doubt about it, Ranma-kun. I'm just wondering...why all the extra attention? If you want to hang around with me, then just sit down beside me. It's a perfectly ordinary thing for a guy to do with his fianc e."

"Ah..." Ranma hesitated as though searching for the right words, and cursing himself that he did not number verbal skills among his martial arts repertoire, other than the barbed insults that he exchanged routinely with his father, which same was wholly inappropriate to what he meant to convey at the moment.

"Hmm," Nabiki said as she studied him for a moment, "If I were to guess...I'd think you were trying not to attract too much attention...but since I know you're not ashamed of me, and I'm pretty sure you don't mind other people finding out about our relationship...it either has to do with what happened the other day or...something else entirely, am I right?"

"Um...Nabiki?" Ranma unhooked his feet and executed a perfect flip to land with catlike ease on the grass right beside her, "You know I'm not...well...you know...flowery with words, like Kuno..."

That was the understatement of the decade, Nabiki thought with a wry smile, but she coyly eyed him and said, "Then...maybe I should be the one who fills in the words here? I take it you haven't been strutting around Furinkan spreading rumors about how the two of us had three-way sex with my illustrious big sister?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Hey, you know I wouldn't do..."

"That's right," Nabiki snapped her fingers, "You're not big on gossip. So...you haven't been bragging about how you nailed the infamous Iceberg Tendo, are you? You're not boasting about how you did both me and Kasumi all night long until cocks crowed morning?"

"What?" Ranma blinked again, "I wouldn't...!"

"Tell anyone?" Nabiki cocked an eyebrow, "That's good...because a thing like that could ruin a girl's reputation...not that I've got that much to worry about mine. Heck, sleeping with you would probably even improve it. So...you don't really mind if people know about us? I mean...not just you and me...but Kasumi?"

"Well," Ranma squirmed a bit uncomfortably then said, "I ain't out to stand on top of the school tower and shout out about it, but...well...I ain't sorry it happened neither, and if anyone makes an issue about it, I'd smack him."

"Sobering enough a thought that even I would think twice," Nabiki relaxed a little, "So...what are you doing here, other than the obvious? Ogling a pretty girl, trying to see to it that nobody else tries to make a move towards me, telling people to back off because I'm your girl? Is that what's got you out here playing my watchful guardian angel?"

"Well...no...I mean...yeah, I'd wanna tell people like that Senzenen guy to back off and leave you alone...but...it ain't because I own ya or anything like that, 'cause I know how much you'd hate it if some guy behaved like that kind of jerk..."

"So, you'd only beat them up if they came onto me, but not because you think you own me, right?" Nabiki gave him a bemused look before saying, "So, what do you want to hang around me like a vulture swooping down on your prey? Or was it just because you like spying on me and want to keep in the habit?"

"Ah..." Ranma glanced down before looking up again into the eyes of his iinazuke, "Look, I'm not trying to...um...intrude on your privacy or...whatever..."

"Really?" Nabiki said, "I wasn't aware that I had any privacy left. I mean, didn't you hear my parents? It's like I'm already married to you, so why should I bother keeping secrets."

Ranma had to think a moment before he could say, "Is that what it feels like to you, Nabiki? Like you're...trapped?"

"To tell you the truth, Ranma-kun...I don't know what I'm thinking anymore," Nabiki glanced away, "I can't deny that there's something between us...and I won't pretend that it...didn't mean as much to me when we...made out together...as it obviously did, but..."

"It's 'cause your folks were in on it, huh?" Ranma sighed, "Welcome to my world. Now you know what it's been like with me having to live with Pop always pushing me around. Guess you're not as used to it as I am, but maybe that's why I'm not as...well...surprised about it as you were..."

"Or offended?" Nabiki replied, considering the point a moment before continuing, "Maybe you're right, I was expecting better than that from my parents, and maybe it was just the haste with which we were being thrown together. It's Kasumi who surprised me the most of all...I never expected anything like that from Oneechan..."

"Yeah," Ranma grunted, "Me neither."

Nabiki eyed him wryly, "What are you complaining about? You got to do it with two cute girls. I'm the one who feels like she's been tossed over like cheap goods and lectured to when I tried to raise an objection about it."

"Is that why you haven't talked to Kasumi for two days?" Ranma asked, "'Cause you're still...kinda upset that it happened?"

"Maybe," Nabiki stared off into the distance, "And maybe it's because I really don't know what to say to her. I mean...I never knew she had feelings like that for me. I...I'm not even sure what I feel anymore. The memories have been trickling back...and...some of them are...pretty intensive..."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed as he, too, seemed to be gazing out at something besides the landscape.

After a moment of awkward silence Nabiki spoke up again, "If you really want to know the truth about it, Ranma-kun...I don't know what I should be feeling here. Angry, used, manipulated? Kasumi set that up with both of us, and we know she had more in mind than just giving us a formal lecture on Force manipulation. The bit about challenging us to take our clothes off and lower our barriers...that was where things started to get fuzzy. No matter how I look at it, and from whatever angle, it all boils down to Kasumi deciding to have sex with us and talking us into it, then later rationalizing about it as if that was not her real objective all along. I could dismiss this if it came from Akane...I'm pretty much used to the idea that you don't drop your guard like that around Imotochan, but Kasumi? Sure takes a bit of the gloss off her halo..."

"I, uh...don't think she meant anything bad by it, Nabiki," Ranma replied, "I think she...um...meant well...if you know what I mean..."

Nabiki favored him with a look before quirking her mouth a little and saying, "I never suggested that she meant anything harmful towards us, Ranma-  
kun...but...well...to be perfectly honest, if I had been the one to set something up like that, then you would have no doubts at all about my intentions. I'm not a saint by any stretch of the imagination, but Kasumi...she's always been the straight shooter in our family, so moral and upright that it...kind of comes as a shock to find out what she's capable of. And now I have to ask myself if I ever really knew her deep down...like...what has she actually been feeling all this time, and did she ever want to screw me before you came into the picture?"

"Ah...well..." Ranma was finding this whole line of dialogue difficult to work with since it had more to do with personal feelings and self-expression than anything with which he had familiarity. Still and all he felt compelled to say, "...I think...maybe it's just me...but...before two nights ago...I kind of had the feeling that Kasumi was kind of...lonely..."

Nabiki arched an eyebrow at this, "Lonely?"

"Yeah," Ranma struggled for the right words with which to frame his perceptions and said, "...Like she's always carrying this great weight on her shoulders...or something. I mean, I don't know her as well as you, but...when I first saw her she seemed...I dunno...kind of sad and...well...then she started acting nice around me and, well...I could feel something there...like a warm glow...you ever noticed that? I mean...when she looks at you and you suddenly kind of notice that the sun is out and there's birds out singing in the garden and...stuff like that?"

Nabiki was amazed at the boy's ability to get all of that out with such clarity of expression. She had always assumed that Ranma had been emotionally crippled in the social affairs department, thanks to his idiot of a father and the man's warped ideas about "training." Now that she thought about it, the sense of joy that Kasumi could sometimes manifest did radiate a bit more brightly whenever Ranma paid her the least little bit of attention.

"You think you're the cause of her going to such extremes to set the both of us up?" Nabiki asked.

"Ah..." he winced, "Maybe. I mean...that was as much for me getting a crash-  
course education about...girls, right, as it was about Jedi training? And now I know what makes you guys so special and..."

"And you want to do it with us again?" Nabiki waited to sense his reaction before smiling, "Typical guy. You're turning into a real stud, Ranma-kun. Why don't you just come out and ask me to have sex with you? I might even say yes."

"Ah..." Ranma turned a shy look in her direction.

"You don't have to look at me like you think I'm going to bite you," Nabiki quirked her mouth and added, "Besides, did you ever think I might have the same feelings towards you? Making out with you right now sounds...pretty good. Unfortunately, Akane's friends, Ukyo and Shampoo, are going to be having a match in another hour or two, and I promised her I'd be there, if only to see whose ass gets iced first, not that I have any preferences at the moment..."

"Oh...yeah...Ucchan's match," Ranma sighed (though whether from relief or...disappointment...even he could not entirely tell), "I'd...kinda forgotten."

Nabiki eyed him again, sensing so much that was unspoken behind his shy exterior. There were really were depths there that she had never noticed before, and-taken as a whole-he was not that bad a person to hang out with.

After another awkward pause, Ranma said, "So...what about Kasumi? Are you gonna make up, or...?"

"Have sex with her again?" Nabiki answered for him.

"Ah..." his eyes betrayed his surprise since that had not been the intended thrust of his question, and she knew it.

"That is the issue," Nabiki gently answered her own question, "If I'm going to share you with Oneechan, then I'd better get used to the idea that I might have to share myself with Kasumi. And here I thought we'd be taking turns with you, getting to sleep with you on alternate Tuesdays. Silly me, shows how naive I can be sometimes that it never even occurred to me that Oneechan might want to sleep with me since she did it with Shampoo before I was even out of grade school. And you know something? I think the answer to that is...yes, I will sleep with Kasumi, and not just as the price to pay for having you as our mutual husband. I guess...maybe I do like Oneechan...that way...and it's not exactly like I'd want to kick her out of bed or fight with her for the sheets. But still...I'm not sure if I can really trust her anymore. It's going to take a lot for me to completely forgive her for the way things happened. I need more time to think about it...and could you honestly say that you'd turn her down if she asked you to sleep with her in the future?"

"Ah...no," Ranma admitted, his mind full of images of the older Tendo sister and the warm feelings she generated, which made him almost glow with a smile of tender reflection.

"So, there you have it," Nabiki remarked, "A nice, neat package deal, just the three of us snug together in one bed, and if I can't deal with that then I really don't have any business calling myself your fianc e."

"Hey, I'd never..." Ranma started to protest.

"I know you wouldn't, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smiled at him again, "You're a sweet guy, in your bumbling, inarticulate way of expressing your thoughts. I kind of like that about you...you're honest. You don't hide your feelings all that well, and you're not trying to put one over on me. I could tell if someone was trying to con me. Um...well, I thought I could anyway. Turns out I didn't know my own mother as well as I thought I did...can you imagine that?'

"Oh yeah," Ranma shuddered, "Mothers..."

"That's right," Nabiki turned a sly look his way, "You haven't told yours yet about the big event between us, did you? What's she going to say when she finds out that we've all slept together?'

Ranma looked at his iinazuke frankly and said, "What do you think would happen? She'd insist we all get married."

Nabiki actually blinked at that, "You're right...she would insist on it, too. Hmm...don't know if I'm in that much of a hurry to walk down the aisle with you just yet, Ranma-kun. I mean...I plan to, don't get me wrong, but...the thought of both Kasumi and me wearing veils and standing side-by-side at the altar..."

"Oh...yeah..." Ranma shuddered, feeling the sort of jitters that any man might get at such a concept, only redoubled by the presence of an extra bride at the altar.

"Maybe we could work something out to slow things down a bit...at least until we get through to the end of the semester?" Nabiki was thoughtful again, "Of course...that presupposes that neither one of us gets pregnant, in which case we'd better damned well hurry up with the ceremony before people start to talk about us..."

"Hah?" Ranma blinked, his mind freezing up at the mere thought of having children at his age.

Nabiki gave him a wry look as she sympathized with his inner turmoil, but then another thought occurred to her and she said, "You know...I wasn't really...comfortable about bringing this up before...but, well...with your curse and all...it strikes me that any sort of relationship we have is going to revolve around the issue of girl-to-girl sex...at least sooner or later. I mean...you're pretty cute with your feminine side, and I'd be lying not to say I found your...packaging...almost as interesting as your guy parts. So...I'm forced to ask myself...do I feel any different about you when you're a girl as when you're a guy? I mean, do I care less about you when I see you as a woman? That...has to factor in somewhere, doesn't it? So...I guess what I mean to say is...one of these days we're going to have to...explore that issue, right?"

"Ah...I guess," Ranma swallowed, definitely uncomfortable with this line of logic, even though the idea of making it with Nabiki while in girl form was...intriguing...

Nabiki turned away and sighed, "Every relationship has its problems and complications, so why should ours be any different? I have to enter this with the mindset that...things are going to be very different for the both of us, Ranma-kun...and that means letting go of old ideas and precepts. I had doubts that I could like girls as much as guys before, but now I know better. The question is...can I really trust myself around Kasumi? I mean...supposing I start to like her...a little more than I do because we're both sisters?"

Another long pause followed that question, during which time Ranma took a moment to study the attractive profile of the girl sitting beside him, taking her in with a slow and lingering appreciation of her finer points and most desirable qualities, and feeling the warmth of her nearness like a burning presence that he ached to reach out and touch, but feared to do so as they were still technically out in the open where other people might notice.

(Kami-sama), he mentally sighed, seeing her slender neck and the curve of her shoulders, her button nose just faintly aquiline enough to give her an exotic quality that distinguished her from the rounder noses of most Japanese girls, and the graceful sweep of her features, her well-set cheekbones highlighted by the faintest hint of a blush, and her brown eyes, so sly and quixotic...(She's so...beautiful...)

"Why, thank you, Ranma-kun," she turned and smiled at him, "You're not so bad yourself."

"Ah..." he glanced away with a flush of crimson coloring his own cheeks, realizing that he must have been projecting the thought aloud as he had not meant to be that open.

"Don't be shy with me," Nabiki urged, "I think it's nice that you can think thoughts like that around me. It's...different from what I'm used to, but in a very positive sense. Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, afraid to look at her again for fear of what else he might give away.

"For being here, for noticing, for caring," Nabiki replied, "I...I really do like you, Ranma-kun...and I'm going to be your wife some day, so...I just want to say that I..." she hesitated.

"Yeah?" Ranma turned back with a questioning look, "You what?"

She gave him a wry look, "That I think you've got the nicest tush of any boy that I've ever run across, and you're hung like your namesake. So, what did you think I was going to say?" she added as he facefaulted.

"Er...nothing," Ranma righted up again, then stared at Nabiki and suppressed a certain...shudder.

"What?" Nabiki was surprised at the shift in his mood, the fear that radiated from within him, triggered by a memory, almost like he thought she was a giant cat or..."

"Uh...nothing," Ranma winced, trying very hard not to share his thoughts with her at the moment.

Of course, his training being inadequate, what he thought was closing off his thoughts in fact had the effect more like a tube of toothpaste, squeezing them out so that they spilled over into the might of his perceptive iinazuke. Nabiki had an image of a looming form hovering over her, of Ranma waking up in the dead of the night and finding Darth Purge standing there with a drawn lightsaber, of Nabiki not seeing the danger right before the serpentine Sith lord moved forward and...

She jolted upright, the mental image of a saber jutting from between her breasts too sharp and clear for her to block it out, the sense of her internal body heat being jolted by the heat of such an inferno piercing clear through her heart and frying her internally, her lungs exploding from the searing plasma, was too horrifying for her to avert her mental perceptions. For a few seconds it really felt as though she was dying, but then the image faded away, along with the false perceptions of heat and pain and having fire erupt from her mouth...and in its place was an all-consuming numbness...

And all at once she found Ranma's arms were around her, hugging her tightly to his chest, just as he had done the previous two nights before when they had awaken from their Siege Perilous-induced trance. Ranma's arms were tight and as strong as iron bands as he held her near him, trembling slightly as they both shook off the lingering sense of what had happened, and then only gradually easing back on the protective aura of outraged wrath that he was manifesting, and Nabiki had the stunning sense that he was intending to defend her against anything and everything that tried to harm his iinazuke.

"Oh," she said after a long, long moment during which they both regained control over their perceptions, "So...that's the real reason why you were up there in the tree...to guard me?"

"Yeah," Ranma gruffly exclaimed, "It ain't gonna happen. I won't let it happen. I won't let that creep anywhere near you..."

Nabiki could tell that he meant every word of that declaration, and in spite of still being shaken by the image of her death, she felt strangely reassured and comforted, even as she sought to regain her own badly damaged composure.

"I'm glad that you feel that way, Ranma-kun," Nabiki assured him, "But I have no intention of dying like that anytime soon."

"But..." Ranma started to say.

"You want to know if that was a precognitive vision?" Nabiki asked, "Well, I don't think it was. Precognition has a certain...signature about it that you learn to distinguish with time and practice. I've had enough precognitive flashes of my own to know what they feel like...and that definitely felt more like a projection from somebody's consciousness. For one thing, it felt wrong, the behavior on both our parts was off, as if we were just props being moved on a stage with no real input on our own, otherwise I'm sure we would have given a better account for ourselves instead of just sitting there like lambs to be slaughtered."

"Then...why did we both...?" Ranma started to ask, but she raised an instructive finger.

"Not why...who," Nabiki corrected, "And the answer to both is...Purge. Obviously he's sending us both a warning that he intends to kill me...either as an obstacle to be removed or just an instructional lesson for you and Oneechan about the price of standing in his way. No doubt he doesn't think I'm worth much more than a speed bump that he wants to roll over, just like in those awful Slasher films where I'd be nothing more than a token dead body by the end of the second reel..."

"I ain't gonna let that happen," Ranma repeated again, this time with fist balled and his expression darkening with repressed, homicidal fury.

Nabiki studied him for a moment before saying, "Did you ever think that your anger is the very thing that he wants to generate in you, Ranma-kun? Make you lose control over your emotions, to tempt you over to the Dark side?"

"I..." Ranma frowned.

"Anger, like vengeance, is the sort of emotion that Purge thrives on," Nabiki continued, "And if you give him that, then you've as much as conceded a major part of the battle. How can you hope to oppose him if you're so full of hate that you wind up becoming just like him?"

Ranma lost some of his edge and unclenched his fists, "But...what am I supposed to do, Nabiki? I...I can't stand the thought of him hurting you...that way...or Kasumi..."

"I know," Nabiki replied, "And the same thing goes for me. If anyone tried hurting you, Ranma-kun...I'd definitely do something about that. I may not be a Jedi Knight, like Sensei or Kasumi, but no one who lives should underestimate Tendo Nabiki. I have my ways, and be assured, they are very effective."

"I guess..." Ranma reluctantly conceded, "There's so much I don't understand...about this Force stuff, about you...about Kasumi..."

"I know," Nabiki smiled, "And there's a lot I still have to learn about you, Ranma-kun...but that's nice. Keeps the mystery going, like peeling back the layers of an onion, know what I mean?"

"Um...kinda," he smiled, refraining from saying that this was exactly what he felt whenever he spent much time around Nabiki.

"Well..." Nabiki glanced away, "I think that's about all the dramatic confession time I can stand for one day, don't you agree? And anyway, it's about time to head over to Koholtz so we can watch Ukyo and Shampoo attempt to skate...which also reminds me, Ranma-kun...in all your travels, did you ever learn anything about skating?"

"N-Nani?" he blinked, thus confirming both a suspicion and giving Nabiki a deliciously mischievous gleam that was making him even more nervous than what he had felt about the vision...

Kodachi walked with poise and supple ease down the streets of Nerima, but even as she made her way to the end of town, where this Kolhotz High School would be encountered, she felt very much as though she were treading on eggshells, afraid to misstep lest she fail to regain her bearings.

(Father must be seriously deranged if he thinks that this...jest of his is a viable one), she thought to herself with trepidation, (To engage me to the likes of that...that woman...) she shuddered slightly, though whether from dread or some other emotion even she could not have easily attested.

(What is it about Tendo Akane that so affects me?) she silently wondered, (Being near her is like a constant reminder of...that evening when we were...alone...and yet to learn that her mother was close nearby the whole time, tacitly approving of her daughter's actions...what could she have been thinking? My own mother was never that...approving...)

Kodachi had been very careful to attempt to keep her own private affairs a deeply guarded secret, swearing Sasuke to silence even as she lorded it over those girls of her gymnastics team whom she deemed worthy of her "specialized" teachings. In truth, Kodachi was only doing unto them what Akane had done unto her, but that as much to salve her bruised ego as to find the sort of comfort that she longed to have with some boy her own age. In point of fact, Kodachi rather enjoyed playing the part of the dominatrix, and she had thought herself very careful in hiding this fact from her parents, at least so that she had yet to hear serious complaint coming back about her actions.

But try as she might to convince herself that she was the one with the power to dispense either joy or punishment onto those whom she favored for such...dalliances...in truth she could never escape the certain knowledge that it was Akane who had done unto her on that night months ago when Kodachi had foolishly confronted her in the privacy of her room. She had heard the rumors about Akane, had witnessed close at hand how promiscuous and wanton the younger sister to her best friend could be, but she had never imagined such...shameless, brazen behavior would be practiced under the very roof of the house where resided her father and mother.

(And since that night I have been unable to stop thinking about her, and not just about what she did to me), Kodachi sighed, (Why am I so obsessed about it that I should become like a mirror image of her, taking what I desire from those who are unable to resist? I know that my behavior is...questionable...but for some reason I find myself unable to desist. Why should this be so...and why do I wish to see her again if I fear that she will...do to me again what she did that night...?)

Kodachi was not usually one for such introspection, but today she was finding it hard not to reflect on what her own actions said about her, even if the desire to make it with other girls had come from her nocturnal encounter with Akane. Ever since the announcement of their engagement two days previous to the moment it had been all that Kodachi could do not to think about confronting her iinazuke (?) and getting it out into the open just why Kodachi did not consider their engagement as valid.

(And still father insists that I attend this match between the Kuonji girl and that...Amazon), Kodachi thought sourly, (As if I gave the slightest care what becomes of them in their match against the Golden Pair. I've seen them attempt to skate...and by attempt I am being supremely generous. It will be a slaughter pitting them against the likes of Senzenen Mikado and Shiratori Azusa...and yet I am expected to be present for the denouement, to offer my support to their nominal "coach," my darling fianc e? Truly this is a mockery to shame the very heavens...)

Her parents had offered to take her to the sight of the match, but Kodachi had felt more like walking than riding in the family limousine, and besides...she was in no great hurry to get to the sporting arena. She had no doubt at all of the outcome, so it was merely a formality to even show up, a courtesy to the fallen, nothing more than this...and never mind that the two girls who were facing immanent humiliation were supposedly her chief rivals for the affections of Akane.

(Like I could ever feel threatened by a couple of peasants, and one a barbarian at that), she scowled as she mentally pictured the Bishonen chef and uber-kawaii Force Mistress, (Not that they are rivals in any sense since I know that my engagement to another girl is a joke that father is having at my expense. Still and all, matters could be much worse), she added with a somewhat skewed smile, (Father might have engaged me to someone else more of my station...and knowing how his mind works, it might as well have been Senzenen.)

Without meaning to Kodachi shivered again, revolted at the very idea of having anything to do with such a lecherous pervert whose major claim to fame was his obsession with kissing near to a thousand different women. True enough that he was handsome, debonair and rich, but he had a personality that was a little too much like that of Kodachi's brother, Tatewaki, so full of himself and confident in his own prowess.

(Tatewaki is not a bad sort), she loyally rallied in the defense of her older sibling, (As men go, but he can be a bit obtuse in his obsessions, and for all that he might claim to be an honorable Samurai, he still believes himself too good for anyone, other than 'Miss-Perfect,' Nabiki...)

In a way Kodachi bore a grudge against her brother for the way he had treated her best friend, Nabiki. She was well aware that-at one point-Nabiki had begun to develop something of a crush towards Tatewaki, but it did not take her brother long before he sufficiently hurt the middle Tendo girl's feelings so that the chance of a romance between them had been crushed before it had even started. What a relief it was that Nabiki seemed to have found a nice boy who could treat her right, and Kodachi was even a bit envious upon learning that Nabiki had slept with the boy two night ago and-by all accounts-had the best (indeed, the first and only) sex of her young life. Kodachi had yet to meet a boy whom she thought was worthy of her affections, and for a brief time she had even considered trying to lure him away from Nabiki...only to decide in the end that she'd rather keep what was left of their friendship intact than to play the royal bitch, even for as well-hung a nice package as that tight-assed bo-hunk, Ranma.

In truth she missed the intimacy that she once had shared with the clever Force Mistress, but ever since that night with Akane...Kodachi had been unable to look her friend in the eye and confide in her over what had happened. She was afraid Nabiki might take Akane's side over her, or-even worse-that she might be the cause of a sharp division between the sisters, and that was something else that Kodachi did not need on her conscience.

(Besides), some treasonous part of her mind spoke up, (It would have been so nice if Nabiki had been my first rather than her sister. I've often wondered what she would be like in the sack...but I have known implicitly that Nabiki would not go in for games of bondage, and I...I've been too afraid of incurring her...disapproval...)

All at once Kodachi felt a familiar stirring along her nape hairs and froze in mid-step, becoming like a statue and not even daring to breathe for several very long moments. The feeling stirred her nape hairs once again and she glanced sharply to one side as if expecting to see the shadows congealing there, then she swallowed a thick lump and forced herself to move ahead resolutely. She knew better than to walk slowly as that presence remained close nearby, yet she dared not rush too swiftly for fear of setting off a chase, much like in those nature films where the predatory beast would break cover at the first sign of panic on the part of its intended prey.

The feeling remained strong and intense, yet still she dared not slow down to risk glancing over her shoulder, certain beyond question that HE would be there if she looked in his direction. She could already feel his eyes upon her, the knowing smirk of confident nonchalance that seemed permanently painted upon his lips, the sensuous way in which he was eyeing the rounded curves of her body, and she wanted very much to reach out and smack him for the course thoughts that were doubtlessly running though his mind. At such a time, when her thoughts were already in such turmoil, the very last thing that she needed was to have another confrontation with the Bishonen boy named Taro, lest she be overpowered once again by his dark and menacing presence...

As she quickened her pace the very boy in question just smirked at her, feeling altogether in charge of the situation, and very much enjoying the chase even as he knew his quarry was aware of his nearness. He was in no hurry to close in for the kill, nor did he intend to impede her path as he was already certain of her destination. Indeed, he was looking forward to encountering her there where the time and place would be of his own choosing.

Besides which, he had a larger game that he intended to play, especially given the fact that his old sparring-partner, Ukyo, would be there looking to get her ass reamed. Such a delicious opportunity could hardly be passed up for striking back at his hated former rival while getting in a few good blows against the Jedi in the process. His Boss had **plans** for this day that were shortly to see fruition, and the scheme that they had cooked up together had such promise for return that another such opportunity might not come around if they plotted for another decade.

They say that revenge was a dish best served cold, and what could be colder than an ice rink that would prove to be a prison for the fools who met there? Taro looked forward to dishing out his part of the menu, and after this day was out he would not only put Kuonji in her place but claim as his prize the beautiful flower named Kodachi, and woe betide anyone who stood in his path, whether former Sith or Jedi, because payback was coming this day, and with long-term compound interest...

"Where is she?" Ukyo demanded as she burst into the dressing rooms and glanced around in search of someone who was in need of a good beating, "Where is that little witch, and what has she done with Ryoga?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked as she started to search around the lockers, "No see sign of frilly haired skate girl. Maybe check in boy's locker and see if that where they hide pig-faced boy."

"Don't call him pig-faced boy," Ukyo snapped, "Ryoga's very sensitive about his curse, just like you would be if you had one. I know he can be a big baby sometimes, but Ryoga-kun does have his pride and feelings..."

"That's for sure," Akane sniffed, "Never met a guy more sensitive about his looks, though I suppose he's not the worst I've ever run into. Imagine being stuck inside some cage with that nutcase keeping him for a pet...even a Sith doesn't deserve that!"

"Gee, thanks," Ukyo sniffed as she paused to think about her next course of action, "It's a fine time for us to be going on a hunt for that little creep, especially this close to match..."

"Is so," Shampoo nodded, "Great-grandmother very insistent we make ready early so we not be unprepared for rival skaters. This one think she could find Ryoga by herself if there were time to look, but no if we have get dressed for battle."

"Then why don't you two get dressed while I go look for the little baka and your friend, Ryoga?" Akane offered, "I'll be sure and pay my respects if I see her, but just in case, you know where she's going to be in another hour or two, right?"

"Oh yeah," Ukyo nodded, "Right between my crosshairs, and when I see her on the rink she's as good as iced."

"Just be sure you keep on ice when you do this," Shampoo coyly reminded, "We is here to make golden squares out of pervert skaters, not make them laugh selves to death at our expense."

"Hey, don't worry, I've got it covered," Ukyo assured her nominal skating partner, "It will be all right, trust me-I know what I'm doing."

"Now why does that sound so familiar?" Akane asked as she turned and headed out of the dressing rooms, wondering if she dared risk looking in on the boys room for dread of encountering someone who was fresh from the showers.

And with her luck it would be Senzenen, though why on earth that thought should disturb her so much was quite beyond her. After all, the guy was such a dick that the thought he might possess one should hardly have made her feel any more nauseous...but just in case, she was going in there with her eyes closed...

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Oh so?" Kimiko glanced at Trieste and smiled, "Feeling nervous about Akane's friend's and how they might perform out there at Kolhotz?"

"Oh, I've very confident of Elder Cologne's ability to work miracles in training them up to at least adequately passing standards of performance," Trieste assured the other woman, looking instead at the garment that was laid out on the bed, "It's this...the dress you and Soun-chan expect me to wear to the match. Such a thing is hardly appropriate for a Jedi..."

"So?" Kimiko slipped an arm around the other woman's waist, "Who says you have to dress the part of a wandering hermit all of the time? Wouldn't it be nice for a change to wear something that actually flattered your figure and let everyone know what an attractive woman you are? I know for a fact that I would hardly feel embarrassed to be seen with you wearing this..."

"I know," Trieste made a face, "But you're prejudiced. And besides, don't you really mean to say the both of us and Soun-chan?"

"Men are so helpless when it comes to deciding what looks good on a woman's body," Kimiko chuckled, "I'm sure Soun would like us both if we were dressed in gunnysacks, but that would be even more scandalous than what I'm proposing to wear, don't you agree?"

"Oh you," Trieste turned to the other woman with affection, "What am I going to do with you?"

Kimiko leaned in and kissed the other woman on the mouth then cooed, "I could think of a few suggestions, but nothing we could put into practice and still have time left to make it to the sporting arena on time."

"Sadly true," Trieste conceded, kissing the other woman back, "But then again, there is always later."

"Oh yes," Kimiko agreed with a sly look that was more typical of her middle daughter, "There is always later..."

"Hello in there," Soun called out from the hallway, "Are you decent?"

"Now why are you asking a question like that after twenty-plus years of marriage, Soun-chan?" Kimiko asked as she and Trieste turned to greet the man in their lives with matching smiles of equal affection, "What does decency have to do with the way people dress anyway? I've known plenty of perfectly indecent people who dress like Buddhist Nuns and even shave their heads bald."

"Now there is a concept," Trieste mused as Soun entered the bedroom and saw the dress laid out upon the bedding.

"Not ready yet?" he asked, "The match will be in a little under two hours..."

"We'll be fine, Soun-chan," Kimiko reassured him, "I just need a little more time to convince Tri-chan to go informally this time. I think she keeps wondering where she can hide her light saber wearing a nice little outfit like this one that I bought for her."

Trieste studied the dress, then glanced at the Jedi Mistress, then shook his head and said, "I don't even want to try to imagine the answer to that..."

"Neither do I," Trieste responded, "And lightsabers hardly make good fashion accessories, unless I tell people that it's a specially made flashlight."

"So?" Kimiko smiled, "Don't take it with you. Go without it for once. It's not like it's physically attached to you after all..."

Both Trieste and Soun turned to look at the woman of their lives with matching expressions of shock and dismay, and it was several seconds before either one of them could say a word to that unexpected proposal.

"I...don't believe that would be a good idea," Soun said simply.

"A Jedi never leaves her lightsaber behind," Trieste said flatly, "That would be the height of folly, even if we are going to a public setting."

"All the more reason to carry safeguards," Soun said with unusual gravity in his tone of voice, "We know that we have enemies who are not afraid to strike out in the open, and to be caught without your primary weapon..."

"Aren't you the one who is always saying that the Anything Goes philosophy disdains the reliance upon weapons?" Kimiko asked, "Or are the Jedi arts so dependant upon carrying a weapon of that nature that the thought of leaving the house without it frightens you? I can understand if possessing it is like an anchor of security, but with Soun and me beside you, I very much doubt that even Purge will attempt anything."

"You don't know that," Trieste said sadly, "And, in any event, the Code forbids it. I'll just have to find some way of making sure it doesn't stand out too much. Hmm...I wonder if that trick the Amazons use of hiding weapons in invisible places might be useful. I've long studied about the concept, but to actually put it into practice..."

"I say that it is better not to break from your usual customs at such a time as this, Trieste-chan," Soun said gently, "Wear it on you from a belt or carry it in a purse or sling it over your shoulder, but by all means have it near to hand, and never mind what the Master thinks about the reliance on weapons. We all know that our enemies will not hesitate to take advantage of an opening if we provide one for them, and it would seem that Darth Purge has a particular obsession with coming after you, either directly or through our children."

"Soun-chan, you are very wise," Trieste glanced down at her lightsaber, which dangled in its accustomed place around her waist, "But Kimiko-chan does raise an interesting point. Am I using my saber as a crutch because I am afraid to go anywhere without it? Or is it wiser to have it at my side yet only use it as a last resort? I do not doubt that if I am forced to use it in the open it might cause...questions in certain quarters..."

"Let's deal with that when it happens," Soun affirmed, "But I know that I, for one, will feel safer knowing you have it on your person."

"Ah well...it was just a suggestion," Kimiko shrugged, "A pity, though...a belt would not look right on that dress. Perhaps you could borrow my purse for this occasion?"

"What, and lose it within the dimension-folding pockets of your handbag?" Trieste smiled, "I can hardly afford to go fumbling around looking for my saber in a crisis. No, I'll think of another way of having it on me, but I'll try and look good for your sakes, even if...it will feel odd wearing so very little..."

"You do have a nice body," Soun tactfully pointed out, "And...that dress...well..." he glanced away and started to feel his cheeks flush as he tried to imagine the Jedi Mistress wearing something as feminine as this.

"Why, Soun-chan," Trieste gave him a bemused look, "Such flattery, and in front of Kimiko-chan. Better be careful, we don't want to give your wife the wrong idea."

"Or the right idea, as the case might be," Kimiko chuckled before shooing Soun out of their bedroom, "Now you just wait downstairs and I'll get Tri-chan ready, never you worry. A nice bath, a little work upon her hair, some nice make-up and you'll hardly even recognize her."

"But...the match is in less than two hours," Soun protested, then ducked as an object flew off the vanity table and just missed bouncing off his head. He chuckled all the way down the hall, leaving his two fair ladies to exchange bemused looks, then as one they chorused, "Men!" and giggled together like a pair of randy schoolgirls.

And so the players were set in motion, and so the confrontation was joined as the match between the Golden Pair and Jedi Force Adepts prepared to get under way, even as the looming shadow of Dark Purge threatened to darken everyone's path as a millennia-spanning cosmic war headed towards a fateful new chapter...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Olympic Skating Moments of Nerima: shadowmane

At long last: Ukyo and Shampoo against Mikado and Azusa, but is this the showdown of the decade or just the opening number for a far more intensive battle of Sith and Jedi? Be here next time for: "Travesty on Ice," or, "H2O + Fianc es = Trouble!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	33. Chapter 33

Jedi Kasumi33

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

WARNING-HENTAI ALERT!  
CONTAINS ADULT MATERIAL THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR THOSE NON-PERVERTS AMONG US. BEWARE LEST YOU ENTER THE LEMON-LIME ZONE,  
WHERE THE NORMAL RULES OF HUMAN INTERPERSONAL CONDUCT DO NOT APPLY...YOU HAVE BEEN DULY WARNED!

Episode Thirty-Three.

Cold Shouldered

Attempting to repair her damaged relationship with Ukyo and Shampoo, Akane accompanies them to the Kolhotz High School Sporting Arena to act as coach for their upcoming match against the Golden Pair...

However, the trio has discovered that Ukyo's old training partner (and fellow Sith apprentice), Ryoga Hibiki, has fallen prey to the acquisitive clutches of Azusa Shiratori and is being held as a school mascot in preparation for the coming match...

Meanwhile,  
Akane's somewhat reluctant "fianc e," Kuno Kodachi, is having problems of her own and is being knowingly stalked by the predatory likes of Pantsaru Taro, yet another Sith Apprentice...

All of which is unknown to our intrepid heroes,  
Ranma and his twin fianc es,  
Nabiki and Kasumi, who plan on attending the match to cheer their friends and sisters against Kolhotz...

Further complicating the matter, the Jedi Mistress,  
Trieste, has been "persuaded" by her loved ones to put aside her Jedi apparel for an evening and don the garb of an ordinary Earth woman...

And as if this were not enough confusion in the works,  
Ukyo herself is about to discover a few things about her opponent, Mikado Senzenen, which will do more than raise a few eyebrows...

"But-but...!" Ukyo sputtered.

"But nothing," the older woman admonished, "Were you born in a barn? I don't care how you do things out in the Kansai prefecture, here in Tokyo we at least have a few manners, and for a boy to be standing around in the girl's locker room while his partner gets dressed is quite simply unacceptable! Use the boy's gym or else leave our school and forfeit the match, those are your sole options...am I making myself quite clear, young man?"

"But I..." Ukyo started to say, only to wince before the withering stare of the Kolhotz vice principal, who did not at all seem willing to hear out a student from a rival high school. Ukyo briefly entertained the notion of explaining her real sex to the uncomprehending woman then instantly gave it up as the notion that she was a crossdresser was hardly all that preferable to being thought of merely as a typical teenaged boy with the normal pervert inclinations.

The fact that she had seen Shampoo naked far more times than she could count over the span of a couple of weeks would also hardly serve to mollify the teacher's suspicions, even exempting that carnal knowledge between two teenaged girls was the sort of behavior more likely to be discouraged than encouraged. At their age the mere act of kissing between opposite genders was considered deeply scandalous, and it was doubtful that Ukyo could make a convincing case of the fact that it had been the Amazon who had first seduced her and not the other way around, not the way that "boys" always came across as the guilty party in the eyes of most parents.

So Ukyo grumbled to herself and allowed herself to be shoed into the men's half of the dressing rooms, leaving behind a somewhat bemused Shampoo and irate Akane, who likewise felt a strong reluctance to own up to their own culpability in the matter. Even as she was herded away from her companions she darkly reflected on how-as a Sith-she would never have permitted a head-blind kludge to lay a hand on her, and by rights she ought to have been handing the assistant principal a lightsaber enema for her troubles.

But being the corrupted "nice girl" that she had been turned into by her close association with those two perverts had softened her considerably, and so Ukyo found herself in the men's dressing room glancing around somewhat nervously in dread of what she might discover. Not that it was her first time in such a place, of course, not by a long shot, but going into a strange male locker room always felt like she was invading on enemy territory the first time around. It usually took days before she would start to feel at ease in such a place, and only after she had managed to assert herself among the "other boys" in such a place so that they would not probe too closely and discover her real gender.

The thought of this bothered Ukyo on several levels, not least because-in a way-her gender pose was a kind of "family curse" she had inherited as the legacy of her late (and much-reviled) father, who quite literally had wanted a son and was even willing to register her as one before kicking off for the great hereafter. Japanese registry laws being as complicated as they were, a father's written preference had the weight of an official mandate, so the only way for Ukyo to function in society without becoming a "non-official" person was to pass herself off as a man...the sole exclusive escape clause for this would be to marry as a woman and become some guy's official wife, and hence her father's other "brilliant" idea of engaging her to the son of Saotome Genma.

The mere fact that Ukyo was-in fact-a woman hardly factored at all into this equation. As things stood she could only come into her own as a wife or a man, and-seeing how society seemed to favor boys over girls in most instances-her best business opportunities were in playing along with her father's idiot notions, even though it excluded her from the rest of the Kuonji family, saving only her Aunt Yumi and her crazy clan-lord Grandfather, whom she had not seen in literal ages. The thought of crawling back home to her step-mother and step sisters was quite literally repellant, so she was left to the situation that she was now in, totally beholden to Shampoo's great-grandmother for a place to stay and a means to support herself, at least until she was old enough to inherit what remained of the Kuonji family business.

The ten years she had spent with Purge had taught her to see herself beyond mere traditional gender stereotypes, and yet the most surprising thing was how easy she could pull off the pretense of being a boy, having long ago learned to act and adapt her mannerisms to more masculine behavior. Ukyo was quite unselfconsciously "bishonen" in more than just her looks, so much so that other girls came onto her with quite annoying regularity long before she actually found herself responding in kind to their flirtations.

Even so, of late Ukyo had started to feel the absence of her own femininity, and a certain longing for what she had lost without truly knowing it was there to begin with. To pass oneself off as a man required more than simply wearing a tight wrap to hide her breasts, it required a methodical mindset that helped her to walk unaffected past other boys when they were stripped down to their shorts, or virtually nothing. The sight of a tight set of pecks and deltoids could, quite naturally-affect her, and yet she had learned to "see nothing" and to excuse herself from having to undress before them in kind by claiming a sever skin rash as the clause for dressing while alone rather than in front of others.

After all, she might be good as a cross-dresser, but lately the act had become harder to pull off in light of the way her body had begun to round itself off in some rather **interesting** places. She had stopped using the wrap altogether as it was far too uncomfortable to bind her swelling boobs in place, and the halter that Cologne had suggested for her was far more comfortable anyway, so there was more of her showing "up front" these days when wearing a school uniform. Even so she still had not become comfortable enough with the idea of wearing dresses...

These thoughts passed through her mind rapidly as Ukyo prowled around the lockers in search of another human presence. She had almost thought that she had lucked out this time as the place seemed remarkably deserted, but then a curious grunting noise brought her attention up to a room far in the back. Curiosity prompted her to investigate, and in short order Ukyo discovered that it was some manner of dressing room for guys, and that it was currently occupied by two-not one-male students.

Carefully testing the handle confirmed that the door was locked, but Ukyo was hardly deterred by this and used her Force training to "jiggle" the tumblers on the lock into the open position. She then eased the door slightly and peered in through the crack, her senses keen and her curiosity piqued as she saw what was happening within said chamber, at which point her eyes went wide and she stiffened up in total amazement.

There he was, Senzenen Mikado, lady-killer extraordinaire and notorious rake of Kolhotz, standing erect with his pants down and his legs spread wide while someone was clearly "servicing" his cock with an "oral polishing" job that seemed entirely expert. Senzenen clearly appeared to be enjoying the blow job as his head was raised towards the ceiling and a look of ecstasy was plain upon his features, but that was not the amazing thing in all of this. What was amazing, to Ukyo's way of thinking, was the identity of the one giving head to the other boy...

A dark haired male student, totally nude and unquestionably NOT female.

"Whoah..." Ukyo murmured faintly, too low to be overheard by the room occupants, who clearly had something else on their mind at the moment. The last thing she needed was to give her presence away and compromise both herself and the two boys, which would doubtlessly prove to be an awkward scene no matter how you cared to frame it.

The two boys clearly were enjoying what they were doing and had no mind at all for witnesses and the effects their activities might create upon the feminine libido. To Ukyo's considerable surprise she found the sight inexplicably intriguing, even arousing after a fashion. She had never realized before how erotic the sight of a boy giving another boy a blow job might be, which left her curious about what else their activities might involve. The thought that they might carry things further held her rooted to the spot and left with indecision about whether to withdraw or stay and see what next might happen.

Apparently, however, she had just come in on the last scene of this rather startling tableau and there would not be much of a show beyond the point where Senzenen came into the other boy's mouth. Ukyo watched with perverse fascination as the dark haired nude boy's mouth filled up with the creamy jet of the other boy's semen, a slight trickle escaping his mouth and drooling down over his chin, leaving Ukyo to stare in mesmerized wonder. The other boy then withdrew as Senzenen urged him to do so, and with a mini-towel passed along with which to clean his face up, the dark haired boy proceeded to swallow that portion that he already had taken in.

"That's enough for now, Miki," Senzenen said in a pleasant manner, patting the boy on the head as he might a favorite pet, "Save the rest for later, after my crowning victory. I'll need my energy to put these challenging upstarts in their place..."

Ukyo belatedly recalled what she was doing and hastily slid the door back into place and reset the locking mechanisms, but as she did so she listened in as the other boy said-almost plaintively-you sure you'll call on me? I mean...it's been a week since the last time I saw you and everything..."

"I know, Miki-kun," Senzenen replied, "But I've been in training, and you know what that entails. I can spare little enough time to care for myself, let alone those whom I care for. You understand how it is, and why it is important that we keep this little secret between ourselves..."

"Oh, sure I understand," Miki's tone of jealousy and resentment was unmistakable, "You want to keep up with appearances so no one finds out about us. All those girls you chase and kiss...you're really quite despicable, you know that?"

"How true," Senzenen seemed unaffected by the insult, "I am a heartless cad, but what can you do? And besides, you love me for it anyway, true?"

"God, I wish I didn't, but I do..." the other boy's sigh was heartfelt, "I just wish you didn't enjoy it so much...the chase and everything, even if those girls who pine over you never do figure out who you actually sleep with."

"How can I deny them their fantasies? I am so heartless, and yet...I do appreciate beauty."

"Flatterer. So, who do you really like more, them or me?"

"You, of course," Senzenen assured the other boy, "But it is a pity that you have so little regard of the charms of the female half of our high school. Take your sister, for example..."

"I'd rather you didn't. That bitch is even worse of a whore than I am."

"Now, now, that's being way to harsh on the both of you, don't you think?"

"You haven't seen the way she flirts with that bastard, Touga," there was a slight pause before Miki's voice became more conciliatory, "I'm sorry...I know he's your friend and all that, but that guy just rubs me the wrong way sometimes...coming on like a prince when he's a worse cad than you could ever be."

"Well then, is that jealousy I detect? You needn't worry, I am with you, my friend, and not my cousin Touga."

"I don't know why I listen to you, you're such a gilded liar."

"Perhaps love makes liars of us all," Senzenen philosophized, "Now...off you go so I can concentrate on making myself ready for my match. I have another beauty whose lips I mean to taste, and a rival whose face I intend to pound into the ice..."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather kiss him? I've seen this opponent of yours, and he's quite the charmer."

"Oh, believe me, this is personal," Senzenen replied, "Kuonji has what is coming to him all but delivered signed, sealed and stamped care of yours truly. Now, if only that dimwitted partner of mine can keep her mind straight on winning the match long enough to help me carry out my vengeance..."

"Vengeance?"

"For the affront he caused me in front of others," Mikado explained, "I've worked hard to cull my reputation as an unbeatable skater, and yet that Bishonen clown made a fool out of me, turning one of my most unbeatable maneuvers into a means for my humiliation. I can neither overlook nor forgive such a thing, and so I will bring him low this day and steal a kiss from his precious companion, lovely thing that she is..."

"Are you telling me, Mikado-chan, that there's actually someone out there who is good enough to ruffle your dignity?"

"Bah! A mere fluke, a lucky opening that I foolishly allowed him. I will return the favor this day, mark me well, and with my thousandth kiss I will seal my reputation as the greatest ladies man in the history of Kolhotz High School. Then none will doubt that I am a man about the campus, not my peers, not those whisper-mongers who titter behind my back when they think I am not looking, and most certainly not my parents..."

"Who might turn you out on your ear if they knew you liked to fool around with boy-toys like me? Is that what I need to fear here, Mikado-chan? That you seek to humble this Kuonji fellow so you can break his spirit and do to him what you did to me by making him your new love slave?"

"Miki-chan, is that what is bothering you? Well, never fear that I'm going to turn you out for a new model, and besides...that Kuonji reminds me a little too much of a woman for my tastes..."

Ukyo reacted with a start to hearing that comment, backing away with a non-  
plussed expression and briefly debating the wisdom of storming in there with spatulas blazing. The nerve of the jerk, implying that she was the one who was perverted, when all along he was carrying on a public charade in which women were no more than mere objects to protect his reputation so that no one suspected that he...that he...

...Liked to screw with members of his own gender?

The irony of that thought confronted her squarely with a realization of how futile it was to seek to punish the bastard before they had their match. After all, was Senzenen really all that different from, say, Shampoo or Akane, who both had turned her into a virtual love slave within their first few days of open association? If so, then what were they fighting about anyway since a little harmless kissing hardly compared to being bent over backwards in the showers and humped until she was too sore to walk straight. Let the handsome prick have his fun if that was all that he was after, and never mind the threat he had just made against her under the mistaken belief that she was the boy whom she merely pretended to be. It was hardly like Ukyo had never been threatened before, and some who threatened her were considered REAL experts.

She was still technically a Sith, after all, and to her the mere notion that someone bore her ill will was only to be expected. She was trained to hurt, maim and kill expertly and could probably take Senzenen down in a dozen different ways that the rake would never imagine. He was so far beneath her notice that it was exceedingly petty to even consider him as a legitimate opponent. So what if he had specialized skills on ice that made him formidable, she was beyond formidable and had nothing to gain by proving herself against him.

Her Master was right to consider male pride a foolish human emotion. Let a real man suffer from Testosterone poisoning, Ukyo was much smarter than that and had a better handle on her emotions and...

"...And another thing about that fool I find so annoying...he goes around calling him a chef as if it were a gift from the kami that he can competently blend the ingredients for something so base as an okonomiyaki, while everyone knows that real cuisine is of French manufacture..."

Ukyo gripped the handle to her combat spatula and was ready to charge in there to flatten heads before she caught herself in time. HOW DARE HE SAY THAT ABOUT HER OKONOMIYAKI? Comparing it to French food was like holding all Japanese foods up to ridicule, as if foreigners had superior tastes buds or...

"...For one thing, Japanese food is much too salty, and they tend to make everything taste like tobasco sauce, and they offer nothing for the gentler palate of a true gentleman's taste buds..."

"He's going to die..." Ukyo murmured softly with resolute conviction, only held in check by the thought that she could do a more thorough job of pummeling him out in the open where there were witnesses and she could trash his precious reputation and feel honestly good about it.

She withdrew from the doorway as she sensed that it was about to open and hid around the corner of the nearest set of lockers, watching as the boy named Miki appeared, calling back over his shoulder, "Well, if I were you, I'd watch myself against this one. He was fast enough to get the better of you the last time, so there's no sense of taking chances that he doesn't have a few tricks of his own in his arsenal that he might use against you."

"I am pleased that you care so much for my welfare, Miki-chan," Senzenen called back, "But in this case your fears are misplaced. That fool can barely stand upright on skates, let along pose a serious challenge to the Golden Pair. Wait for me in the usual spot and we'll celebrate my victory when this is all over."

"All right," Miki said reluctantly, "Just don't say I didn't try to warn you..."

Ukyo waited until the young man had exited the lockers before smiling to herself, counting to ten, then striding into the private dressing room and cheerfully saying, "Well now, if it isn't Mikado the Molester..."

Her words half-died on her lips as she stopped in her tracks and stared in disbelief at the mirrored reflection of Senzenen, who was sitting in front of his own vanity set, cheerfully applying makeup to his face, which included a lip gloss that he was trying on as if to test its color, which would be a perfectly understandable gesture had she been dealing with a woman, which was most certainly NOT the case with Senzenen.

Her light-haired opponent was startled at being discovered in the act of such an "unmanly" act and barely had time to wipe his lips clean of the gloss with a hand-towel before turning around and sputtering an indignant, "That's Senzenen Mikado, you...you Bishonen freak!"

"Well now," Ukyo had to smile at that, her surprise giving way to something more like genuine amusement, "That the best you can come up with, Jackass? Give it up, I've been insulted by experts, and you ain't even in their league."

"Is that a fact?" Senzenen's eyes narrowed as he glared at his opponent, "Well, we will see how that boast stands up to the test of honorable combat, once the match between us begins in earnest."

Ukyo made a gesture of reaching for her baker's peel without actually unslinging it, "Anytime, anywhere, pal...just you watch that you ain't bitten off more than you can chew, you Poof."

"Poof?" Senzenen seemed genuinely puzzled at the reference, "You truly are a fool if you think that you have any sort of chance against me. I am known the world over as the best martial arts combat skater all around, while you'd do well not to humiliate yourself completely within the first eight seconds of our match's beginning."

"Think so, huh?" Ukyo's smile took on a particularly nasty connotation, "Just remember you said that when I pound you flatter than one of my okonomiyaki."

"I am quite serious," Senzenen's smile became genuinely condescending, "In fact, just to make things more interesting, I won't outright obliterate you. Rather I shall humble you before your lovely lady companion and then seal my victory with a kiss of her sweet lips while you gaze on helplessly, knowing that you never stood a chance in hell against me."

Ukyo's smile lost some of its cockiness as she glared at the young man and said, "You wanna try your luck with Shampoo-chan, go ahead, but don't say I didn't warn you, Jackass."

"Oho, is that a note of jealousy I detect?" Senzenen smiled all the more deeply, "All the better, it will make my victory sweet to know that I have proven to you who is the true champion on both the ice and with the ladies."

"Yeah, whatever you say," Ukyo pretended to sound indifferent as she turned around and headed back towards the regular lockers so that she could get suited up in the outfit that Cologne had provided for her, adding on the sly, "Oh, and for your information, I whip up a meaner okonomiyaki than that French crap you were praising any day. Just try me if you need convincing."

She hid the smile that crossed her lips as she heard Senzenen sputter with indignant realization. This was going to be a far more interesting match than either of them had anticipated, and Ukyo found that she was actually eager to get her skates as the sooner she was ready the sooner she would tear that jerk a new hole where it really mattered...

Akane's lips caressed the mouth of an ardent Shampoo and the two of them held on to one another sharing the warmth of an embrace that was passionate and full of longing. Their mouths felt soft and inviting as their tongues playfully wrestled with one another while their hands roved freely over the covered portions of their mutual anatomy, fondling through the thin silk material of Shampoos shirt and the cotton fibers of Akane's robes in search of familiar pleasure centers in desperate need of a good caressing.

As delightful as the moment of passion was, however, Shampoo reluctantly broke it off with a gentle sigh, easing back from Akane so that they could touch their foreheads together, neither one of them requiring words to convey their mood as both knew that this was neither the time nor the place for them to continue where such actions might inevitably lead them.

"Kami, I've missed you so," Akane said with conviction, "It's been a week already, don't you think we could maybe...y'know, after the match...?"

"Perhaps," Shampoo softly conceded, "But this is no time for pleasures. Is battle Shampoo must be ready for, yes? And must be properly dressed for beating frilly haired thief girl senseless."

"Oh ko," Akane pouted, "I almost forgot, that jerk's got that Ryoga guy in a cage somewhere. Ukyo's gonna want him back, though I frankly don't see what she sees in that morose tusked loser."

"You only say because you think maybe she like him," Shampoo informed her with a coy smile "But Spatula girl no even know that much about what she want. Is sure think that pig-faced boy have fancy for Ukyo, just too shy to say so outright."

"You really think so?" Akane looked startled at the suggestion, "You mean he's got a crush on her and Ukyo doesn't even know it?"

"Is what this one just say, no?" Shampoo mused, "But no worry, no think Ucchan tire of us just yet. Shampoo very sure she still like this one and Akane, and-  
-as you say-Pig boy no have nerve to say what he want outright. Maybe he get lost thinking about Ucchan, and frilly haired girl take advantage while he distracted."

"Yeah, that sounds about right for that clown," Akane sighed, "Well, guess there's nothing to do for it but to get you suited up so you can pound her face in, then maybe we'll get her to cough up what she did with the Hibiki guy, then Ucchan can stop worrying about him and we can all have a make-up party to celebrate after."

"Is you no forgetting something?" Shampoo gently reminded, "You have other girl to worry about, one you promise to marry."

"Hey, that was Dad's idea, not mine!" Akane protested, "I don't even think Kodachi likes me all that much, though I kind of do like her, if you want to know the truth about it. I mean, she's hot and she's got this real aloof way about her, like she thinks she's better than us, but I know deep down that it's all act and that she's really nothing like that beneath the surface."

"Is so, eh?" Shampoo studied the dark haired Japanese girl closely, "So maybe you like her, you go marry her and forget about this one and Ucchan?"

"Not a chance," Akane hugged the Amazon back, "You're definitely one of a kind, Sham-chan, and the same goes with Ucchan, and there's no way I'm giving either one of you up for some aristocratic floozy..."

"How flattering that you think of me in such base terms, Tendo-san," a familiar voice noted, calling the attention of the two girls to her nearby position.

Akane caught herself in the act of moving away from her purple haired lover and stopped herself, turning to frown at Kodachi, wondering what business it was of the dark haired gymnast who Akane hand her arms around, even as she wondered at the curious look of unreadable emotions that she saw on display on the features of her aristocratic iinazuke.

"Didn't know I had an audience," Akane frowned, wondering why she had not sensed Kodachi's nearness prior to this instant.

"Obviously," Kodachi said with dry, toneless humor, "Not two days engaged to you and already I find you flirting with other women. However, that is not why I have come to seek you out. I..." she hesitated, frowned a bit as though attempting to force the words past her lips then said, "I...need a favor from you, if you're not too busy at the moment."

"A favor?" Akane exchanged looks with Shampoo, then both of them turned their focus towards Kodachi, "What kind of a favor?"

The self-described Black Rose looked nervous and apprehensive, glancing back over her shoulder once as though afraid that she was being followed, then turned back to say, "I think...I may be having a problem. A friend of your friend's..." she winced slightly, "...has taken an interest in me, and...I do not know what to about it."

"Someone take interest in you, Rose girl?" Shampoo asked with the customary lifting of a lavender eyebrow.

"Who is that?" Akane asked, then tried to second-guess her own question, "You don't mean that Mousse guy...?"

"No," Kodachi started to say, then stopped herself and seemed to reconsider her action, "Never mind...I don't know why I even bothered coming here, you obviously have no interest..."

"Hey, who says?" Akane immediately responded, "Just tell me who the creep is and why you can't deal with him by yourself since I know you're tough enough to send most guys packing."

"But this...is not just anyone," Kodachi stood where she was and seemed to chew the point over as if debating the wisdom of further elaboration.

To her surprise Shampoo said, "Is monster-boy named Taro, yes? He is one who you no think you can discourage?"

"Yes," Kodachi said with a mildly surprised expression, "I believe that is his name...Taro. I...I think he followed me here, but...I am uncertain..."

"That creep?" Akane frowned, "What does he want with you? No, scratch that, dumb question! He's a guy, and they're all perverts. Probably wants to get you alone to himself so he can have his way with you. Well, nothing doing! I'm not standing for that crap! He may think he's a big bad Sith and all that, but I know how to cut guys like him down a peg or two, just watch me!"

"Ah, actually," Kodachi said with more haste than even she would have expected, "I wanted to speak with our mentor, Sensei Trieste. Since...we are both now her students...thanks to the insistence of my parents..." she arched the words very sourly before she continued, "...it would only seem right to ask our Sensei if she might be able to...teach me enough in order not to be at such a disadvantage. Understand, I did not come here to ask you to fight my own battles, I wanted to discover a means of...equalizing the odds since I seem to be at something of a disadvantage, not having been Force trained to the same extent as my mother and brother."

"You no think they could help?" Shampoo asked, then added, "Is not right for warrior to depend upon a man, but you brother is very strong fighter..."

"He's also quite delusional and thinks he can sway your sister, Kasumi, to be his paramour," Kodachi twisted her smile slightly before glancing back at Akane, "I haven't had the heart to inform him that his chances of achieving aught with that are slightly better than being elected to the Diet. Besides, I do not think even his skills would be sufficient to deter this Taro person. I fought with him but briefly, yet that single encounter was enough to convince me that he is more dangerous than even you seem to imagine."

Shampoo turned back to Akane, "He is student to Darth Purge, that is reason enough to worry. Maybe Rose girl have point after all, maybe best to speak with Elder Trieste and great-grandmother, get boy to stop chasing after you Airen."

"She's not my Airen, Shampoo," Akane complained a bit weakly, "Kodachi...you don't have to worry about a thing. I can handle this by myself if I have to, but for now why don't you stick with us and we'll keep each other company just in case this Taro baka makes an appearance."

Kodachi shuffled a bit before saying, "Are you sure that would be wise? I mean...your Ukyo might not take kind to the sight of me at the moment..."

"Ucchan?" Akane blinked, "Why would you think that?"

"Because she might have the somewhat silly idea that we...um..." Kodachi looked even more uncomfortable before forcing herself to say, "...that this silly notion of our parents has any more validity to it than a verbal contract without witnesses. I mean, we both know that it is a farce, but if people heard about the whole perverted matter they might get entirely the wrong impression..."

"Oh, right," Akane caught the suggested meaning of the gymnast's words and responded in kind with an equally concerned expression, "Wouldn't want people thinking that, now would we?"

Shampoo looked from one dark haired Japanese girl to the other and back again and suddenly had a sense of unease, as if sensing that there was more to this picture than even her Force Mistress senses could unravel. She was not certain what the outcome of these events might be, but her sensitivity to the possible alternate futures they might portend left her murmuring a very faint, "Aiyaa..." that promised portentous things in the romantic travails of her beloved friend Akane...

Kasumi walked with careful strides as she approached the Kolhotz campus. All day long her senses had been cautioning her that significant things were in the works and that very soon her skills would be tested in ways that she had previously never imagined, but for all her efforts at defining what the nature of the impending danger might be she still had no clearer image than a vague sense of unease for the very near future.

Her attempts at meditation had been largely fruitless of late, and for the past two nights she had not slept well, that owing to her lingering sense of guilt over the way things had turned out between her and Nabiki during their too-brief night of passion with Ranma. Although her younger sister had assured Kasumi that matters had been resolved and no negative feelings were extended over the matter, Kasumi still felt acutely embarrassed over her part in roping Nabiki into a three-way with their mutual iinazuke, especially when it was clear that her sister was not emotionally prepared for the outcome. It still stung her deeply to know how she had behaved over the matter, like a shameless wanton eager to seduce her own sister, and what poor Ranma must have thought of her behavior. It was almost more than she could endure having to replay the events and images that passed through her mind as memories had gradually returned, and the effects of the Siege Perilous were brought home to her with the stark clarity worthy of motion picture.

In truth, she had discovered within herself not so much a sense of shame over what happened as a guilty sense of relief to have some of her feelings expressed out in the open. It now was plain to her that the thought of making love to Nabiki had been in her mind a long time before encountering Ranma, deeply suppressed underneath a sense of filial propriety that masked her baser lust beneath the benevolent balm of sisterly affection. Nabiki had matured so much over the past three years that Kasumi could not have avoided **noticing,** and after her experiences with Shampoo it was only natural that she feel a certain...attraction. Knowing that Nabiki did not return her ardor in quite the same manner had held her in check until now, as had a lifetime of conditioning in the **proper** ways that a young woman her age was supposed to conduct herself in the proximity of a close family member.

Incest taboos were hardly the only restriction that had been willfully violated on that night, gone too was a certain naive trust on Nabiki's part where it came to Kasumi. She definitely had tarnished her halo in her younger sister's eyes while behaving like an older version of Akane. It would take real effort on her part to repair the gulf that had been created in one evening, yet Kasumi wanted desperately to erase that separation, to go back to the way things were, where she had Nabiki's affection (if not her body) to rely upon. They had so much making up to do, and Kasumi found that she was missing the friend whom she had always relied upon in her mercurial sister. She wanted to be close to Nabiki once again, and not just in the sense of sharing the same bedroom.

And there was Ranma to consider, their mutual iinazuke. Their ties to him were as strong as ever, even if Nabiki had been less than thrilled about sharing him from the beginning. Kasumi remembered very well what it had been like to spend a night within the arms of the younger man and very much yearned to do so once again in the near future. His vibrant spirit and naively boyish charms still were a source of deep fascination for her, and she found she missed his strength as much as she did the support of loving him without reservation. He was the man whom she had yearned for all of her young life, and now that she had found him she was not about to surrender him, not even for the sake of domestic harmony with her sister. Just thinking about what it had felt like to be **filled** by his love, to take a part of him inside her body and to nurture his ardor while grinding his face into her chest and holding on while the tide crashed all around her like a crescendo, the blood rushing in her ears as she opened her senses to embrace the entire Universe, a point of light in a sea of infinite gray, merged with two other lights that shone just as brightly...

"Kasumi, yo! Wait up a minute, where you going in such a rush, girlfriend?"

"Eh?" Kasumi asked, pausing in mid-stride to turn a glance over her shoulder.

"Where are you going off in such a hurry?" asked a familiar girl roughly Kasumi's own age, dressed like a college student and hurrying to catch up with her at a quickened pace, her long legs eating up ground with a stride that was quick and lively. She had long blonde hair and decidedly Western features with the bushiest set of eyebrows that she had ever encountered on a woman who seemed to be approximately the same age as Kasumi, and yet her Japanese was flawless and she spoke with only the slightest of accents. Something about her rang a bell in Kasumi's memory, though for a moment she was at a loss to place the stranger, who was smiling back at her with a friendly, intimate expression.

"Excuse me?" Kasumi asked rather uneasily, "Do I know you?"

"Hey, it's only been, what, three years? Four at the most," the blonde stranger replied, "Don't you remember me from middle school? Ursula Negumo, at your service."

"Oh," recognition belatedly came to Kasumi and she smiled at the blonde with a warmth of memory flooding back in a rush, "Ursula...it has been that long? Oh my...I'd quite forgotten the time. So much has happened..."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Ursula grinned, "And look at you, all grown up and dressed like a monk, just like always. Kind of reminds me of the way things were back during our junior year at Crossroads, you, me, the old gang, especially Madoka, Haruka and Michiru..."

"Three years," Kasumi shook her head, looking her friend up and down and appreciating the startling manner in which the blonde had definite "filled out" to quite athletic and attractive proportions, "What have you been doing with yourself? You look...quite healthy."

"Hey, I was going to say the same thing about you," the blonde replied with an infectious smile that also brought back memories of their girlhood shared together, "You look like you've been out in the sun a lot, and there's definitely something travel-warn about your features. What did you do, go on one of those long walks with that mysterious Sensei of yours to the wilds of the provinces?"

"Something like that," Kasumi replied, "Actually, I've returned home after a three year sojourn with my Mistress, and we have been to some rather interesting parts of the world at that."

"Lucky you," Ursula nudged Kasumi on the elbow, "I hardly ever get to go anywhere unless I'm tagging along with my uncle when he gets assigned to a different high school. These days I'm kind of like a teaching assistant, can you believe that? Though I'm hoping to get my Masters degree in a few more years, at which point I'll be applying for the same position."

"Oh?" Kasumi asked with an arched eyebrow, "You mean...you are an assistant to your uncle?"

"More like I run errands for him to earn myself a paycheck," Ursula balled her fists and made a few mock swings at the empty air before saying, "But mostly I'm studying for my third Dan black belt in Kempo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. I hope to compete in the Inter-murals championship in a couple of months, so playing at being Assistant Coach is kind of my way of keeping in shape while training. You know how it is, if you don't keep the body limber it turns to flab in short order."

"I wouldn't know, really," Kasumi admitted, "I've never had the option."

"Yeah, I can imagine with that Sensei of yours," Ursula grinned, "My uncle has a crush on her, you know. She's practically his ideal of what it means to be a woman."

"Oh?" Kasumi said in surprise, remembering the handsome and athletic Coach Negumo from her times attending his gym class...so very long ago...

Ursula gave Kasumi a wry look and said, "I seem to recall that you had a crush on my uncle yourself for at least one semester."

"I did?" Kasumi asked in surprise, "Oh my...I don't remember that, though...come to think of it, when I do think about your uncle all I seem to recall was that it involves a lot of running."

Ursula laughed at that, "Oh yeah, Uncle loves to run, and if you can't keep up with him, then you'll probably be in for one of his lectures about the importance of youth and running. Well, anyway, it's good to see you again after all this time. I've been wondering what you would be up to, and just where were you headed in such a hurry?"

"Oh," Kasumi recalled herself, "I was going to attend the ice skating match being held on the Kolhotz arena. One of my sisters is coaching two of her friends in a match..."

"That was your sister?" Ursula asked in surprise, "I was wondering about that. Just as soon as I heard the name of Tendo I felt sure you were involved in some way, and now here you are, isn't that curious?"

"I suppose that it is," Kasumi replied, "Akane's friends are the ones competing against the champions of this school, although one of them is also a very good friend of mine, and I want to give them my support and wish them the best..."

"Against the Golden Pair?" Ursula raised an eyebrow, "They're gonna need all the help and support they can get. Those two are invincible, and I ought to know, I helped to train them."

"You did?" Kasumi asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Ursula looked faintly disgusted rather than proud about the matter, "Not as their actual coach, but I was in training as one of their sparring partners for a couple of weeks...before my partner got banged up and had to take time off to recover. Senzenen almost put him into the hospital on account of a slight to his ego that poor Nakamura bruised with an off-hand comment. Frankly, I don't much care for the class champions of our high school. An unbeaten string of success has gone to both of their heads, making them arrogant and cocky. Take Senzenen...do you know that he actually takes pride over the fact that he's kissed close to a thousand women, including yours truly?"

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "He...kissed you?"

"Yeah, but it's mostly an act on his part so people don't figure out that he's really a boy lover," Ursula explained, "Way I hear it, he stands to lose his inheritance if his folks ever find out he crosses the fence and swings both ways. The fop thinks he's some kind of divine gift to all the ladies on campus, but as soon as a cute thing crosses his eye he's got to have him for his own, sure as clockwork."

Kasumi took a moment to figure all of that out, then her eyes went round and she said, "Oh my..."

"Yeah, and Azusa's even worse than him, if you can believe it," Ursula snorted, "Uncle Negumo won't even approach those two any more. It's about the only subject on which he loses his usual cheerful optimism, despairing over how they turned out. Of course, their real coach is a Russian champion who's all pro at martial arts ice skating, and she's the one who put them up to being a pair of genuine pricks. I tell you, sometimes I wish someone would come along who could put them in their place and give those two a reality check. Too bad for your friends, I sounds like the rumor mill has the odds stacked 20-to-1 against them."

"Oh really?" Kasumi gave her old friend a slightly bemused look, "You should speak with my sister, Nabiki. She is good at rating odds like that, but I've never been that much inclined to gamble."

"Life itself is a gamble," Ursula responded, "Which reminds me, what exactly have you been doing while traveling abroad? You left school during your sixteenth year, and I never did hear if you graduated."

"Um...actually, I fulfilled my lesson plans and obligations through correspondence," Kasumi noted, "My real education was on the road itself, so I didn't actually attend classes for the most part, but I did earn my high school equivalent degree."

"No high school?" Ursula was surprised, "I know it's not compulsive, like in the States, but...didn't you miss being around other girls your own age?"

"Not particularly," Kasumi answered, "I had quite a lot to do, and many fascinating things to learn from my Mistress, and there were enough people to make my acquaintance on the road that I did not actually miss being in class, though I suppose I did miss having my old friends around me."

"You always were the quiet, introverted type," Ursula smiled, "In all our group you were always the most polite, the least likely to get into trouble, and yet you had such strange abilities, most of the rest of us never really understood it. Even with my training in the martial arts I doubt I could do even half the things you used to do by sheer reflex."

Kasumi smiled at that, "It's the nature of my training. I really can't talk about it with someone who isn't a part of our order, suffice to say that I am...well versed in the Jedi arts that my Mistress has taught me, and someday soon I may even graduate and face my trials, at which point I will at last be acknowledged a full Jedi."

"Well, that sounds appropriately auspicious all right," Ursula noted with the raising of golden eyebrows, "But don't worry, I won't press for details. My Sensei has a lot of his own special secret techniques that he keeps telling me are not for outsiders. Anyway, it's good to see you again, and if you're looking for the sporting arena, it's over this way, and I'll be happy to show you to some good seats."

Kasumi nodded, "I would be grateful for that, and for your company, Ursula-chan. It has been many years and I am curious to know what has become of my old friends. What are Haruka and Michiru up to these days? Are they still...?"

"Going together?" Ursula chuckled, "Are they ever! I mean, you should see them these days, they're almost like a married couple, and you know how Haruka could always flaunt it in your face with that cool-as-ice sophisticated air of hers. Never knew any girl who could pass as easily for a guy and still look sharp in boy's clothing, but Michiru...well, you know how feminine she was even back then, and she's even more beautiful these days, about the only one who can make Haruka's head turn with a smile or a glance. You gotta admire that sort of commitment, and having the balls to stand for what you are without pretending to be something else more socially acceptable."

"Er...yes, of course," Kasumi responded with a somewhat uneasy expression.

"And what about you?" Ursula asked rather suddenly, "Are you seeing anyone special these days? Anyone in your life who chimes your bells and rocks your world to the very roots?"

Kasumi paused to think on how to respond to this, but before she could frame an adequate reply she heard the familiar words of someone else intimately connected to that question say, "Yo, Kasumi! Wait up a minute, we wanna join you!"

"Oh, Ranma-kun...Nabiki?" Kasumi asked as she turned around with a mixture of relief and nervous anticipation.

"Yo, Sis," Nabiki acknowledged Kasumi with a look that suggested more than she was willing to say upon the surface, a look that did nothing to set Kasumi's mind at ease nor reassure her that a reconciliation was pending in the near future.

"Good thing we caught up with you, Kasumi," Ranma said before turning a look towards Ursula and asking, "Who's your friend?" in a mildly suspicious manner.

"Oh," Kasumi belatedly recalled her manners, "Ranma-kun, Imotochan, this is a very old friend of mine from my school days, Negumo Ursula. She is a teaching assistant here at Kolhotz high school."

"Yeah, but don't expect me to be rooting for the home favorites," Ursula said as she turned and bowed towards Ranma and Nabiki, "Senzenen and Shiratori aren't exactly my favorite sorts of people, if you know what I mean. Pleasure to meet you both, and...Nabiki is it? I've heard a lot about you from your sister."

"Oh really?" Nabiki wore a stoical expression while trying not to glance towards her sister, "Sure you don't want to hear my side of it first?"

Ursula chuckled, missing the way Kasumi's cheeks flushed crimson at that comment, "She said I'd like you, and I'm starting to see why. So...this hunk your boyfriend or just a fellow classmate?"

"H-Huh?" Ranma blinked his eyes, "Boyfriend?"

"Ah...something like that," Nabiki revealed, risking a glance towards Kasumi before studying the blonde haired and bushy-eye-browed older woman, "Um...what exactly has oneechan told you about me?"

"That you're smart, pretty and have a head for figures and a love of gambling...oh yeah, and that you love to tinker around with gadgets and stuff, and you're also a pretty fair fighter from what I can see by the way you shake that tight little fanny of yours."

It was Nabiki's turn to blink at that baldly stated comment while Ranma just looked confused for a few moments before he belatedly caught on then colored briefly in silent agreement. His poorly shielded thoughts were easily picked up by his two iinazuke, and Nabiki had to fight to control her reaction as the rather vivid imagery flooded into her mind of Ranma's appraisal of her pert derriere, with the side-comment agreements of Kasumi adding color to her own observations.

"So, anyway," Ursula continued, "You've all come to watch the match against the Golden Pair, so who are these friends of yours, and have you notified their next of kin already?'

"You rate their chances that badly, huh?" Nabiki asked, visibly grateful for the chance to change the subject.

"I won't kid you, guys," the bushy-browed blonde replied with a frank expression, "The Golden Pair are unbeaten for a reason, but if your friends can manage to achieve the impossible, there will be some of those on this campus who won't shed too many crocodile tears. Problem is, Senzenen and Shiratori have sent their last five couples either into the hospital or therapy...so what have your pals got that could help them break their nearly perfect record?"

"Hey, Shampoo and Ucchan won't lose," Ranma said confidently, "They're the best around, except for me, and if those golden creeps try anything it'll be their bad luck, especially that Senzenen creep."

"Oooh, cocky, I like that in a man," Ursula grinned, giving Nabiki a wink, "I can see why you like him, he's quite the charmer. Of course, I kind of wonder about those names, Shampoo and Ucchan?"

"Xian-Pu," Kasumi reflexively corrected, "It means Mountain Girl in Mandarin Chinese..."

"No fooling?" Ursula arched one of her bushy eyebrows, eyeing Ranma with special curiosity, "Must've earned her a lot of teasing in grade school, but I'm kind of curious about why a guy refers to another guy as 'chan...'"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked again, then once more belatedly caught the reference, "Hey, I'm not...I mean...it's not...Ukyo ain't a guy!" he sputtered indignantly.

"He's not?" Ursula raised her other eyebrow.

"Ukyo is a girl, Ursula-chan," Kasumi explained, "She dresses as a boy and is legally registered as one, but that is as much the fault of her late father, who wanted a boy, as anything else in Ukyo's life, other than the force of ingrained habit."

"A girl?" Ursula whistled, "Well, cover me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians, if that don't beat all. And here I was all unsuspecting. Have to say, she covers it pretty good, but I guess that explains why she's so ticked off with Senzenen."

"Excuse me?" it was Nabiki's turn to arch both of her eyebrows.

"Mind you, you don't have to be gay to get ticked off with the rake for trying to smooch your girlfriend..." the blonde persisted, oblivious to the odd looks that she was receiving from Kasumi and the others.

"Say what?" Ranma asked, even more bewildered now than ever.

"Of course, I've got nothing wrong with that myself," Ursula shrugged, "I've munched a rug or two in my time, mostly just experimenting, but there was this one girl...well, never mind about that flirt. It's like they say, after all, if God didn't intend for us to eat pussy, then why did she shape it to look like a taco?"

Ranma looked even more puzzled than before as he leaned in close to Nabiki and murmured, "What's a taco?"

"Um," Nabiki coughed to clear her throat then turned a look towards Kasumi and mentally protected the thought, **Where did you find this one again, Oneechan?**

**I'm starting to wonder the same thing myself,** Kasumi telepathed back, taking note of the substantial changes that had obviously come over her former classmate.

"Well, time enough to chat later, the match is about to start up at any minute, so hurry along and we might still find some decent seating," Ursula cheerfully noted as she lead the way towards the school sporting arena, compelling Kasumi and her loved ones to follow in her wake while collectively eyeing the blonde as though she had come from some other planet.

Nabiki broached the question that had the others guessing by venturing to say, "You're partly American, aren't you?"

"Does it show that much?" Ursula replied, "My mom's from America but my Dad's Japanese, and I spent part of my childhood in Hawaii where my mom used to be a lifeguard."

"I lifeguard, huh?" Ranma remarked, as much to make up for his end of the communication in this very strange dialogue that they were having.

"I was just wondering about something," Nabiki observed, "Ursula means 'Little Bear,' right? And Negumo..."

"Means bear in Japanese," Ursula mused, "Yeah, mom loved the irony of that, but my Uncle's the Big Bear in the family, as you'll find out if you happen to meet him."

"Oh my," Kasumi murmured to herself, wondering if her encounter with an old classmate might account for the curious unease that she had been feeling since early morning, though some warning instinct disinclined her from that notion. Besides, Ursula might be a rather forward speaking girl lacking in the normal restraints that society might expect in a woman, but she was hardly all that threatening, no matter what unsettling things she might say in passing...

No sooner had this thought passed through her mind then Kasumi belatedly became aware of the fact that Ursula was leaning a bit closer to her than normal personal space considerations would allow, and before the Jedi padawan had time to process that thought she felt a hand slip around behind her back and cop a feel under her robes. Kasumi was so startled that she almost yelped aloud in protest, but she sensed no malice or ill intent in the gesture, and Ursula had stepped back away just as swiftly as she had seemingly rubbed shoulders with Kasumi, leaving the latter to stare in disconcerted surprise as she eyed the blonde with an alarm that had nothing to do with thoughts of personal danger.

Nabiki was not slow to catch the gesture and her eyes narrowed sharply, while Ranma just stared at the blonde as if wondering what to make of her, and as such they were much too distracted to perceive the shadow that was observing them as they passed it by. Slitted reptilian eyes eyed the curious party as they vanished into the sporting arena, then a soft, sibilant voice hissed out, "Mammals...why does it always have to be thus with mammals?"

"Hey, we're not all out to rut like sweating pigs, Boss," the youth huddled in the shadow of the dark Sith Lord softly protested.

"Perhaps," Darth Purge hissed dubiously, "But you had best move ahead with your part of the mission. I will remain here until the time to strike is at hand. Just do not allow yourself to be distracted by the female you are pursuing."

"I'm hurt," Taro sniffed, "I thought I made it plain, she's just a frail I mean to toy with. I wouldn't forget the plan over her sake, even if she is a nice piece of tail in need of a good taming."

"So you say," Purge remarked, watching as the youth moved out from concealment and headed off for the rear of the building, then the Dark Lord permitted himself a confident moment to savor the sweet flavor of his impending vengeance, to which he felt a surge of pride at having crafted so intricate a web of deceits that were certain to ensnare his prey, and with that the impending doom of the Jedi was at hand. All he needed was to bide his time and be patient for a little while further, and then he would have his reckoning with Trieste and her wayward children. The key to it all would be his former apprentice, and she did not even suspect her own part in the matter, which-to his way of thinking-  
-made his pending triumph that much sweeter to anticipate...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Blunt Speaking Hentai Gym Teachers: shadowmane

At long last the match between the Golden Pair and our intrepid Force Masters gets under way, but will Ukyo and Shampoo have the right stuff, or are their chances for victory equal to a snowflake in a blowtorch? Find out next time in: "Ice Follies," or, "Life as a Dish of Frosted Okonomiyaki!" Be there!

X 


	34. Chapter 34

Jedi Kasumi34

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

Episode Thirty-Four.

A Beautiful Mime

The ultimate match between the Jedi Force Masters and the Golden Pair of Kolhotz is finally at hand, but as Ukyo prepares to dress for her part in the competition, she makes a startling discovery concerning the sexual preferences of her opponent, Mikado Senzenen...

Meanwhile, Akane's somewhat reluctant iinazuke, Kodachi Kuno, appeals to Akane and Shampoo for assistance against the unwanted attention of the Sith disciple,  
Pantyhose Taro, who has followed her to the sporting arena with the intent of recruiting her for his evil purposes...

Unknown to any save Taro, Darth Purge plans on attending this match where he hopes to catch the Jedi unawares, especially Trieste, who has been persuaded to "dress light" for the occasion by her two loves, Soun and Kimiko...

On her way to attend this match,  
Kasumi runs into an old classmate of hers from her middle school days, Ursula Negumo, who is serving as an assistant coach to her bear-like Uncle, and she manages to make quite an impression on Nabiki and Ranma,  
who arrive in time to join in this very odd reunion...

Meanwhile, poor Ryoga has been taken captive by the kleptomaniac skater, Shiratori Azusa, and is being held as a mascot for Kolhotz,  
making him an unwitting centerpiece for the pending rivalry between the Golden pair and the oddly-paired Force Masters, Ukyo and Shampoo, with a nervous Akane and anxious Kodachi witnessing their match from the sidelines...

It was difficult to think, even harder to concentrate, and for someone trained in the ways of the Sith that was truly nightmarish, like being head-blind and deaf to the word around you. Ryoga struggled to clear his thoughts, to regain his central focus and to make sense of his surroundings, even though his head felt muddled and his ears felt as though they were stuffed with wads of cotton.

He tried to remember how he had come to this position, let alone what his position might be, but it was difficult enough just to think, let alone recall recent events that might lead up to his current state of confusion. More alarming still was the sense that his connection with the Force was presently baffled, meaning that he was head blind on more than one level, and that alone was cause for alarm regardless of the rest of the particulars of his as-yet-  
unknown situation.

The Apprenticed Sith attempted to reach down into himself in order to achieve that state of centered calm that was necessary for the mastery of his power, but his center eluded him and his feelings were as scattered as Sakura blossoms blown about by a windstorm. He had trouble just getting his thoughts to congeal into some type of coherent pattern, and all he could manage to achieve for his efforts was to summon up a name and an image into his mind, one that came attached to a wellspring of mingled longing and sorrow...

"U...ky...o..." he managed to get out between unusually thickened lips and a mouth that was not well designed for normal communication.

Much to his surprise a voice that did not sound at all like that of his fellow Sith Apprentice responded in concern, "What is that, Jean-Paul? Are you trying to tell Azusa-chan something important?"

That only added to Ryoga's mounting state of disorientation because the name was unfamiliar with him, and whoever this "Jean-Paul" fellow was, he was quite disconnected to Ryoga's present condition, though the other name of "Azusa" did seem disturbingly familiar, as though he had heard it given in an off-handed passage.

"You just stay there and be a good little friend to Azusa, Jean-Paul," the frilly voice said again as Ryoga tried to mark a face and position past the hazy blur of his vision, "She has to go and win her match against those silly pretenders who want to take what belongs to Azusa, but Azusa will never part with little Georgette, never-ever!"

Ryoga was still trying to make sense of who this Azusa person was conversing with when yet another voice intruded upon the scene with a somewhat brusque tone that began like, "What are you doing in there, Azusa? We're about to begin the match and-UGH! What is that thing you've got in the cage? It's hideous!"

"You don't talk like that about Jean-Paul!" Azusa snapped, clearly turning her wrath upon the new blob who had just entered the field of Ryoga's blurry vision, "You're just jealous because he's better looking than you!"

"That is patently quite absurd, and where did you find this...creature, assuming that is not a mask that he is wearing? Ugh! Even smells like a pig standing on two legs...what possessed your silly little mind to want to claim it like one of your ridiculous keepsakes?"

"That's none of your business, Miki!" Azusa snapped, "And what about other-Miki, your current boy-toy? Is he going to watch you and Azusa-chan compete against those tomboys?"

"Miki-chan will be rooting for my eventual triumph, as always, when I claim the lips of the fair Shampoo and deal thusly with her foolish suitor, the doomed Kuonji. Now come along and get yourself ready, the match will begin in another few minutes."

"Azusa is coming," the female voice sighed, "But she doesn't see what is so special about Mikado claiming yet another kiss from some girl that doesn't interest him, or else if Miki does like girls after all, why has he never tried to kiss little Azusa?"

"I kiss women, not doll-sized waifs," the male voice replied in curt dismissal, "And besides, I might catch something from you. Now be a good little kleptomaniac and come along, we mustn't keep our victims-I mean, our opponents waiting..."

Ryoga had a sense that he was being left alone, but he had overheard enough to fairly alarm him as some residual trace of consciousness caused him to sharply focus the many fragmented pieces of his mind into one coherent thought as he murmured out the name once again, "U-ky-o..." with greater urgency than ever...

And-at that very same moment-the very object of his lament visibly winced and clutched at her head as she staggered under the impact of that incoherent thought projection, which greatly distressed her comely companion.

"Ucchan...you is okay?" Shampoo asked of the cross-dressing former Sith Apprentice.

"Ryoga...I could sense Ryoga just now," Ukyo said as she fought against swooning, leaning on Shampoo for assistance, "He was trying to reach me just now...but his thoughts...they're so...disoriented..."

Shampoo opened her own perceptions then said, "This one senses great danger for Pig-boy...but he more concern about you. Is maybe he think you in some kind of danger?"

"Possibly," Ukyo said as she regained some measure of her own self-composure, "But the fact is he's in trouble and can't make heads or tails of his situation...which-come to think of it-is pretty typical for Ryoga, but in this case...well, I'd say it was safe to assume that he's out of his depth and in need of my help..."

"You want go to him?" Shampoo asked, glancing at the frozen surface of the arena before adding, "Match with Golden Pair about to begin, but if you think you friend need you more than need to stomp on face of pretty boy-thing and him crazy partner..."

"No," Ukyo grit her teeth, "As hard as it is for me to say this, Sugar, but we're stuck facing off in this stupid match and can't get out of it without losing face big time. Fortunately we have a backup plan for dealing with this unfortunate situation."

"Of course," Shampoo smiled, "Akane and crazy Rose Girl do it for us. We leave in their hands while we keep other stupid ribbon girl busy."

"That's one way of putting it, Sugar," Ukyo agreed as they both opened their thoughts to their missing companion, then together projected the mental urge for Akane to tune in on the empathic rapport that they had established with one another...

"Is something wrong?" Kodachi asked of her reluctant iinazuke, seeing the slightly pained expression that just then crossed the face of the youngest Tendo sister.

"Oh yeah...and I'm reading you guys loud and clear," Akane winced, "Like I could miss that broad band broadcast the baka was sending out just now. He's gotta be over this way, which means that I'd better prepare you for a bit of a shock, Kodachi-chan, because when we find Ryoga...well, let's just say it won't be pretty."

"Compared with some surprises that I've had lately?" Kodachi asked in a droll tone of voice as she followed her companion down a corridor leading to the locker rooms of the Kolhotz gymnasium, only they took a different turn from the one that they had taken when parting company with their other two companions.

To no great surprise they found the doorway locked, but Akane easily manipulated the lock with her abilities and pushed her way in, and a moment later the two of them found themselves standing just outside of a object shaped roughly like a large cage under a silken curtain, and when Akane parted the curtain to reveal what was hidden within the sight elicited a gasp of surprise from Kodachi, who stammered out, "What...is that?"

"That," Akane sighed, "Is the Jusenkyo-cursed form of a former enemy named Hibiki Ryoga, only in his case looks aren't all that deceiving."

"That's his face?" Kodachi stared at the pig-snouted visage of the cursed lost-  
boy with horrified fascination, seeing a blend between human and porcine qualities reflected in a powerful frame that reeked of masculinity, yet tormented and distorted beyond the recognition of anything that she might have found attractive in the male gender.

"Hey, he doesn't always look like that," Akane reassured the other girl, "Just douse him with hot water and he'll revert back to what passes for normal with him. Guess that Azusa creep really goes in for the exotic looks, not that the poor guy deserves to be caged like some kind of an animal, even if he is a Sith and a trained killer beside this."

"I do not fully understand this," Kodachi admitted, "You say he is an enemy and under some form of enchantment, rather like that old French story of the Belle and the Beast? If so, then how did he come to be here?"

"Probably let his guard down at the wrong time and Azusa snatched him up," Akane remarked as she studied Ryoga with more than ordinary perceptions, "His thoughts are real messed up though, so he's probably been drugged. Let's get him out of there and into the showers, then maybe we can see about sobering him up so Ucchan can concentrate on winning her match."

"That does sound sensible enough," Kodachi remarked as she studied the cage before reluctantly adding, "But...something about this arrangement does not feel right. I cannot put my finger on what it is that is out of place, but the lock seems quite sturdy and those bars are very thick..."

"So?" Akane sniffed, reaching out with a hand and extending her senses into the locking mechanism to undo it as she had to the door, "A little jumbling of the tumblers and..."

All at once they heard a clicking noise, and without pausing to think about it Kodachi reached out and gripped Akane by the wrist, yanking her back even as she held her breath and ducked under the jets of smoke that unexpectedly gushed out towards their faces.

All at once Akane found herself on the floor with her fianc e looking up at the odd-smelling vapors filling the air immediately above them, and then with a mild cough she gasped out, "W-What was that?"

"What I feared all along," Kodachi said, risking a breath before clasping her hand over Akane's face, "Do not breathe in...my guess is the drug will render us unconscious if we breathe it in."

Kodachi then followed her own example and covered her own nose, confident now that her companion had gotten the point as the both of them remained still for as long as they both could hold their breaths, then the pony-tailed gymnast judged the moment right and gasped for air, urging Akane to do likewise, taking several experimental breaths to assure themselves that they were out of immediate danger.

"As I thought...it has dissipated by now," Kodachi said between deep breaths as she sat up and combed her hair back out of her eyes, "We should be safe enough, though I think your friend will be sleeping it off for the duration."

"Wow," Akane remarked as she saw how slumped Ryoga was in his cage, "How did you do that, Kodachi? I never even had a sense that we were in any potential danger."

In response the other girl gave Akane a crocked smile then said, "One advantage in relying on other perceptions besides your Force training...it was exactly the sort of trap that I would have lain if I had intended to ward off unwelcome intruders such as ourselves. Sometimes it does pay to think you're your adversaries in order to anticipate their movements."

"No fooling," Akane said, visibly impressed, straightening up once again before testing the bar to see no other traps or hidden surprises were about to spring out their way. Once convinced it was safe to do so she opened the cage then said, "Help me drag this guy to the showers, and don't worry about having to undress him, he'll be fine enough once we get him under the hot water faucet."

"So you say," Kodachi started to bend down to assist Akane, only to straighten up once again with a look of shock that preceded her turning around and gazing towards the open door, wherein stood a figure that brought mutual gasps from both young women.

"Well, well," Taro remarked as he regarded them smugly, "Looks like the Pig got himself into a mess and needed to get his ass bailed out by a couple of frails. Lucky me to come along at just the right time to catch this...now if only I had a camera..."

Without even being aware that she was doing so Akane took a step forward and placed herself defensively in the space between her "fianc e" and the handsome new arrival.

"What do you want?" she asked, deliberately keeping her tone as even and level as she could manage.

Taro regarded the challenging look of the other girl with a neutral glare of his own and said, "Not that it's any of your business, Skirt, but I came here to share a few words with Kuno-san over there."

"Well tough," Akane responded, not even bothering this time to keep the snarl out of her voice, "Because she doesn't want anything to do with a creep like you, Sith...and where is your scaly-hided master? Skulking around looking to cause trouble?"

This time Taro smiled, baring teeth as might a predatory beast with his dark eyes glaring like he was marking out his prey, "Trouble's my middle name, Tendo-  
san, and be careful you don't wind up my latest casualty since I'm not here to pick a fight...just yet. Just step aside and you won't get hurt..."

Akane had her light saber out and in her hand before the sentence was even completed, and with a flick of a switch activated the blue-white beam while holding it at the ready as if prepared to strike within another heartbeat.

"You're the one who'll wind up a casualty if you cross me right now, Taro-san," Akane glared, "Kodachi's under my protection, and if you want to get to her you'd better be prepared to go through me first."

Taro affected not to be impressed by the display of lethal temper and snorted, "Yeah, yeah, I've been through that drill a few times with real experts, Girlie, and what business is it of yours what I do with Kuno-san over there?"

Akane started to say something, only to stop herself in mid-blurt before she could attempt to explain that she was honor bound to defend her own iinazuke. She was only dimly aware, however, that Kodachi's widened eyes were upon her with an openly amazed expression.

"What?" Taro's eyes narrowed, "Wait a minute...don't tell me a skirt-chaser like you's set your mark on my girl? Now that's rich...you and me as potential rivals."

"Your...girl?" Kodachi swerved the focus of her surprise back in his direction.

"Shut your face, Pantyhose!" Akane snapped, "And where do you get off claiming Kodachi as your girl when she came to me for help against you? And if you want to make a match out of it, just try me!"

"Hah, like I can pass up a challenge like that," Taro snorted, glaring at Akane even as the arrogant smile remained plastered on his handsome features, "But I'll give you this, you just impressed the hell out of me, which means I'm gonna get real pleasure out of taking that little torch away from you and planting it up your butt before switching on the beam again. Better yet, I think maybe I'll just break you to my saddle, how do you like that? Then I can have two frails for the price of one...a nice package deal, and I might even win approval from the Boss if you learn to treat me nicely."

"Go to hell," Akane said with an even tone as she fought to master her own rebellious emotions, "And for your information Kodachi belongs with me, so back off...or one of us isn't walking away from this, you got me?"

"Eh...nani?" Kodachi reacted with a gasp.

"Ooo, I'm so scared," Taro mocked, "Now I really am gonna take my time breaking you in half, Frail...but not right now. I've got a pretty tight schedule that I've gotta go take care of, but I'll tell you what, I'll make time to get back to the both of you real soon now. Later, doll-face."

With that the arrogant Sith Apprentice took his leave, but Akane did not relax until she was certain his presence had fully withdrawn from them, and only then did she deactivate her Light Saber, keeping it still close at hand just in case it was needed.

"Is he really gone?" Kodachi asked nervously, less prone to relax since her senses were not as sharp as those of a Jedi Force Mistress.

"For the moment," Akane responded without taking her eyes away from the doorframe.

"I can't believe you frightened him off like that," Kodachi remarked with a vain attempt at regaining her own composure, "I thought for a moment there that he was bound to attack you."

"Don't fool yourself, 'Dachi," Akane replied, "He was facing us in his human form, but if he were serious then he could have switched to his Jusenkyo-cursed identity, and then I doubt even I'd stand much of a chance against him."

"Um...really?" Kodachi swallowed, "Is he...that dangerous?"

Akane decided to risk turning back to the cage to fetch the still unconscious Ryoga, "Oh yeah...I won't lie to you about that, 'Dachi. About the only way I could take him when he's turned into that monster would be a lucky strike in a vital spot. Anything less and...well...it would sure hurt a lot, and I doubt it would get pretty."

"How very...comforting," Kodachi noted, reckoning that her own chances were slim against the arrogant Taro if even Akane felt no confidence in a direct confrontation. But then she switched channels from that unpleasant subject to a somewhat more troubling question, "Did you mean that just now...about wanting to protect me?"

"Huh?" Akane blinked as the two of them shared the burden of Ryoga across their shoulders, "What do you mean? Of course I'd protect you against the likes of him, why wouldn't I?"

"What you said was more along the lines of claiming that I belonged to you," Kodachi explained as they dragged the unconscious boy in the general directions of the Kolhotz showers.

"Uh...did I say that?" Akane asked more nervously, "I mean...uh...well...that is...we are engaged and all that...and even if our folks did mean it as a joke, I'm honor bound to look after you, right?"

"That isn't exactly an answer to my question," Kodachi noted, but decided to drop it at that since neither one of them was clearly prepared to venture farther on that particular subject, so instead they bent themselves to the task of giving the pig-faced boy a bath (which they both felt he especially needed), and for that hot water was called upon, at which point Kodachi would see with her own eyes the effects of a Jusenkyo curse in reverse, which would open up a wellspring of other curious questions for which Akane would find herself being probed for an answer...

"Is something the matter, Trieste-chan?" Soun asked of one of his two lady companions while they sought good seats from which to observe the ice match.

"I am not entirely certain," the Jedi Mistress responded with a slightly distracted air about her manner, "But I am sensing that matters are about elsewhere, and it somehow involves Akane."

"Oh dear," Kimiko sighed, "What else is new? I do hope she hasn't gotten herself into any sort of trouble. This is hardly the time or the place for any such mischief."

"Perhaps I am just being silly," Trieste said dismissively, attempting a lighter tone and manner, "I am not used to dressing out in public in these sorts of clothes, and I worry that I may not be able to draw my Light Saber in time should there be any need for defensive actions..."

"In which case then you can rely upon us to take care of you," Soun assured her, "I know it would have been a bit much to ask you to leave your weapon behind, seeing as it is almost a part of you..."

"More like I would feel truly naked without it, I fear," Trieste smiled fondly at the man beside her, then she felt Kimiko's hand tighten on hers as her dearest friend leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratorial tone of voice:

"Now there is a mental image worth summoning," the Tendo matriarch grinned, "But I think it would hardly do to act that way in front of the children, so perhaps we can put it off until later, hmmm?"

"Oh you," Trieste smiled, but nonetheless she continued to feel uneasy and mentally stretched out her senses in a vague attempt at locating her scattered charges. In truth there was a disturbance in the Force somewhere about this huge auditorium complex, yet with so many unshielded minds surrounding her it was difficult to pinpoint individual cases, save for one whom she knew quite well, which caused her to smile and glance in her direction.

Kimiko was sensitive enough to her companion's thoughts in order to pick up on her meaning, and she too smiled as she caught sight of Kasumi sitting on the benches several rows ahead of where their elders were seated, and at the side of Trieste's favorite charge were her sister Nabiki and their mutual fianc e, Saotome Ranma.

And-seated close beside this trio-both Trieste and Kimiko made out another young woman who seemed closer to Kasumi in age, yet her long blonde hair and half-Gaijin features leant her an exotic air that was quite apart from the curious aura that she manifested. She had unusually bushy eyebrows that set off her oddly beautiful features in a way that gave her a wild and untamed look that suited well her athletic build and general heir of robust good health and vitality. She was also wearing a Kolhotz style uniform yet seemed too old to be a student proper, which added to the curiosity that she presented, being clearly engaged in an animated discussion with Kasumi and her iinazuke.

"So, let me see if I get this straight," Nabiki was saying just then, glancing once in the direction of her mother, father and teacher before resuming her conversation with the blonde athlete, "You think love is just some hormonal-type reaction that our bodies generate in order to trick us into making babies?"

"Nope, that's not what I said at all, Skinny-hips," the blonde replied, "The hormone part is just the effect our bodies have when a guy and a girl meet each other and click, but often it takes a little more time for our brains to catch up with the signals being cast off by our bodies. People tend to rationalize things a lot, but it's hard to ignore the chemistry when we're sending off signals that we wanna get laid with another cute body. Of course there's also the psychological and spiritual components that add the spice to the punch bowl, so when all three click in sequence the effect can be pretty stunning and you get an especially wicked, potent mixture."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "You make romance sound like mixing a recipe."

"More like a cocktail or martini," the blonde corrected, "And if it has the right sort of kick I say, 'Go for it!' It's rare enough to find a guy or girl who can rock your world, so when it happens you gotta thank your lucky stars and make the most of what the Kami bless us with."

"But...what's it all about, really?" Ranma asked, feeling somewhat out-of-sorts with all this talk about relationships and the mysteries of personal attraction, "I mean...why do people fall in love...or...whatever it is that happens?" he glanced somewhat nervously at his other two female companions.

"Oh, that one's easy, Sport," the blonde named Ursula Negumo answered, "People fall in love because...well...nobody feels entirely complete all by themselves, know what I mean? It's like we're looking for the missing part of ourselves, or the other half of our being. You've heard the saying that opposite attract, right? Well, sometimes that's the case, but sometimes what you want is somebody who shares a lot in common with you, somebody you can do fun things with, who won't bore you to tears or go off and play video games while leaving you to do the dishes."

"Sounds like you've had experience with that," Nabiki shrewdly noted.

"I've been around a few times," Ursula answered, "Always looking for companionship, never quite finding somebody whose got everything that I'm after. It's sort of like trying to find a perfect fit for a puzzle piece, and sometimes we get close, and other times we gotta force the pieces to fit together..."

"Why would we need to force things?" Kasumi asked her former classmate, "Isn't it better to allow things to happen when the time is right and they are meant to happen?"

"Yeah, but we could wait a pretty long time if we're hoping to make a perfect match-up," Ursula replied, "Let's face it, being alone sucks Twinkies and it's better to love the one you're with than to be in love with some ideal that's nearly impossible to fulfill. Trouble is that lots of folks compromise and take the booby prize or the next best thing rather than to wait and see if they've got a good match in the offing, and I've known lots of people who ought never be a couple yet try to make it work against the odds, or some who just give up trying when they've had one too many failures. Way I see it, you don't set your standards too high, but you definitely need standards."

"Standards," Ranma repeated, then sighed, "I don't really get it at all...but, um...well...I guess it is better to have somebody you like to spend time with be with you...but how do you know when it's good enough to be worth getting married?"

"When you figure that one out, Kid, come see me," Ursula winked, "Never felt tempted to make a permanent go of things. I prefer the single life where I get to date who I want when I want and as often as I want without messy commitments. Maybe someday I'll find Mister or Misses right and that'll be the end of my wandering days, but until then...I prefer to enjoy myself and not put up with so many hassles."

"That's a pretty carefree way to live," Nabiki said, "But it also means you avoid the chance of finding real satisfaction. Too many one-night stands would exhaust the heck out of me...not that I've all that much experience on the matter, of course," she hastily added.

"I like you, Kid," Ursula grinned, "You're practical and you're honest, kind of like your boyfriend here, who stammers a lot but gets to the point sooner instead of later."

"I do?" Ranma asked with lifted eyebrow.

"Actually, what I was saying before about how our bodies often govern our choices works just as well for the way our brains sort out those baser impulses that we send out every time we meet somebody who makes us feel horny," Ursula continued, "At root core the basic purpose of dating is a screening out process whereby we eliminate the driftwood to pick out the prize from a whole herd of boobies. Girls like to pretend it's about finding some cute hunk that they can drool all over, but the basic reality is that they're unconsciously sizing the guys up for one thing: making babies."

"That's the part I don't really know so much about," Ranma admitted, "I mean...is it really all about having kids? I mean...isn't there something else that goes on when we...um...do it?"

"Now you're showing your age, Kid, if not exactly the sort of gonads most guys your age are usually drenched in," Ursula informed him, "Guys are practically hard-wired to want to rut with anything that's round and soft with a moist opening, and the packaging is only part of the attraction since the real purpose of all this is to get their girlfriends pregnant so they can perpetuate the species. Of course some guys are just satisfied with the rutting part and don't want to be tied down with having messy things like kids, but even those guys think making babies is a test of their virility...even if they don't stick around to help raise them."

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, finding Ursula's blunt speech more than slightly disconcerting, though she had difficulty arguing certain particulars of what her friend was actually saying.

"Girls pick guys they think can give them healthy babies," Ursula persisted, "And guys pick girls who look and feel healthy. I've seen it time and again watching the younger girls on campus, always drooling over the latest Bishonen bo-hunk or hard-bodied athlete, but it never really occurs to the silly little twits that the qualities they get the most turned onto are not exactly the same things that make for a stable relationship, let alone a good marriage."

"How exactly do you mean that?" Nabiki asked, intrigued in spite of her own skepticism on this subject.

"Well, think about it," Ursula replied, "Imagine some rock-idol star with long hair and plenty of muscle, dressed up in a ripping outfit that makes him look like an outlaw biker. Of course most girls are gonna look at such a hunk as a good lay, but an outlaw isn't the type who likes to stick around and be domesticated. That's why a lot of girls finally settle down and marry executive salary-man types, the sort who can provide for them and give them a stable roof over their head. It's not romance that wins out in the end, it's the stuff that makes for a more stable and economically viable union."

"Now that's going a bit far, doncha think?" Ranma protested, "I mean, I can't believe it all revolves around having kids and making a family life...I mean, really?"

"You think Prince Charming wins the girl in the end because he's got a great tush to go with a really snug castle?" Ursula responded, "I'm not saying that there's no such thing as romance or a spiritual connection and all that, and maybe there is such a thing as a Soul Mate, or even Love at First sight, though my own impression of the latter often means that a girl is drooling over a hunk without knowing a damned thing about him. Of course there's also the sex that goes with the companionship, but even that gets old and stale after a while, so unless you really enjoy being with a person it won't last very long...so it really pays to have things in common that you can talk about. Otherwise it's fifteen minutes of fun and then the guy rolls over and takes a nap."

"Er..." Kasumi said somewhat uneasily, "But...what about love at first sight? Do you not at least acknowledge the possibility of a spiritual recognition?"

"Oh, I'm sure it happens every so often," Ursula shrugged, "But most of the time it's just gonads getting in the way of rational thinking. Heck, you'd be better off with an arranged marriage, there's at least as much of a statistical chance of that working out as thinking two people should link up because of a first-  
time impression."

"Ah..." Nabiki glanced at Ranma and Kasumi, all three of them sharing a momentary look of disquiet upon that particular subject.

"Of course who wants to let somebody else dictate who you get hitched to?" Ursula continued, "That's so old fashioned it's practically archaic. And besides, when other people get to choose who you marry they often use criteria that's got nothing to do with health, wealth, looks or personal attraction. Me, I think that voids the whole argument that a woman gets to choose the father of her kids and leaves things pretty much up to random selection. Much of the time you get marriages between people who are completely mismatched, and no doubt that contributes a lot to the survival of unhealthy genes that should have long ago been bred out of the general population."

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, thinking about the logical implications of that statement.

"Never took your for a cynic," Nabiki noted with faint amusement.

"Hey, a cynic's nothing more than an optimist who's given up trying," Ursula shrugged, "But really, if it were just about sex then we might as well all stick with lesbianism since our chances are better at finding a girl who'll understand our needs then hoping that some guy will intuitively understand us."

"You mean a woman could understand the needs of another woman better than a man?" Kasumi wondered aloud while trying very hard not to glance towards her sister, fully aware that Nabiki was giving her a very curious expression.

"Well, it's not always the case, but generally...yeah," Ursula shrugged, "I've known girls who wouldn't know how to please themselves if you gave them a manual, and other girls who can rock you like nothing else this side of a ten-  
megawatt vibrator, but the reason why we girls aren't all gay is because we can't get pregnant that way, and it's the honest ones among us who'll admit that."

"But if girls can do it with other girls better than guys..." Ranma said slowly as if trying to piece this part of the puzzle together.

"Hey, some guys just have the knack, but they're a statistical anomaly," Ursula shrugged, "Take it from me, there's more stumblers than acrobats out there, and the problem is that nobody teaches these guys to take it slow and get their act together instead of always behaving like they're in a Porn movie. Guys like that think girls like us should just bend over and genuflect to the all-mighty penis, of course they also tend to be legends in their own minds, but why drag out the obvious there, ne?"

"Mind if I ask you something then?" Nabiki eyed the blonde critically, "If you think sex is all about having kids, then why does lesbianism exist in the first place?"

"Population control, of course," Ursula replied, "It's a scientifically verified fact that every mammalian species practices some form of homosexuality, usually when the population's too big and the herd is competing for scarce resources. Obviously having a lot of kids when there's already too many tends to lower the quality of life for those already here, so nature's got a back-up program where some of us get to turn our sexual urges into non-procreative behavior. Of course the religious nuts tend to go bananas about that since they think having babies is a God-given sacred commandment...as if having six billion people already on the planet isn't enough for their liking."

"I think I see your point there," Kasumi replied, "Too much of a good thing...of anything...can be quite unhealthy."

"But the way I hear it Japan isn't in danger of being any more severely overpopulated than it is at the present," Nabiki pointed out, "The birth rate's been falling in most industrial nations, and the only reason why the demographic numbers keep rising is because people are living longer."

"Yeah, but not necessarily better lives," Ursula pointed out, "Medical technology hasn't yet advanced to the point where they can eliminate the whole list of diseases that afflict mostly elderly people, and just how long can any society continue to support an aging population with a shrinking base of wage earners?"

"Uh...doesn't that mean that we oughta have more kids if we need them to keep working?" Ranma carefully pointed out.

"Yeah, but...where's the point of everybody having as many kids as they can pump out?" Ursula shrugged, "Granted about ten percent of all women are infertile and can't carry kids except with special help, but even with all that you get more kids stuck in orphanages than manage to find a stable home life, and I-for one-think it's immoral to bring any kid into the world unless it's going to be loved and healthy."

"Uh..." Ranma squirmed a bit before adding, "I can't really imagine having a kid and not want to take care of it..."

"That's a good attitude to have," Ursula winked again before bumping hips with Kasumi, "Of course I'm not saying that sex with girls is just about curbing the population since I've known lots of lesbians who still want to get pregnant and have babies. Some even make pretty damned fine mommas, but then there's the other kind of girl who doesn't want to be saddled with a kid until they're middle aged and financially well situated. I mean, it's a proven fact that girls who wait before getting married and having kids tend to have better careers and lots better financial options, but the down side of that is that the longer you wait the lower your chances are of having any kids at all. Tough call really...a kid or a career, and most girls want to have it all, but life just ain't that simple."

"But...what I really mean is...what's the point of it all?" Ranma asked, "Are we really just here to get married and have babies?"

"I think what Ranma-kun means is...what are we here for besides rutting and dying?" Nabiki asked, "That can't be all there is to life...it would be a huge waste of time and resources."

"Can't argue with that," Ursula replied, "Personally, I think we're all cosmically linked together with some fundamental source at the heart of all creation...some universe-spanning intelligence that's trying to create an intelligent life form capable of understanding it all...like maybe God's lonely wants to evolve his own companion."

"Fascinating," Kasumi freely admitted, only to shift the focus of her attention as she sat upright on their bench and said, "Oh my...I believe that they are about to begin the match."

"You're right, Oneechan," Nabiki affirmed, "They've got an announcer on the court and she looks like she's about to call this show into order."

Indeed, the Kolhotz referee was indeed a very attractive young woman who took her place at the center of the arena and was busy calling the audience to attention, then making the introductions for the players. She called out the names of the Golden Pair for the sakes of their cheering fan clubs. Kasumi and the others watched in amazement as Kolhotz students individually cheered for both Mikado and Azusa as though they were home town celebrities. It appeared that whatever personal faults the pair might have were obviously neglected as their reputation for being unbeatable winners clearly was thought to be more impressive, and the pair did love to play to the crowd, so much so that one would think that they were heroes and not merely an especially rude and obnoxious pair of social rejects elevated to cult status.

Then it was Ukyo and Shampoo's turn at bat, and though their fan base was small (being composed mainly of students from Furinkan come to watch the novel event) it made up for it by being enthusiastic, enough so that it fairly surprised the unlikely pairing of an Amazon Force Mistress and former Sith Apprentice-cum-  
crossdresser.

"Wow," Ukyo remarked in surprise as she took in the cheering throngs that were rooting for both sides of the conflict, "Never thought this little rumble of ours was gonna bring this kind of attention..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed, equally awed, "No this many people in this one's entire village. Is big turn-out, yes?"

"Guess they're all here to see us whoop ass on those two golden losers," Ukyo remarked, adjusting herself against her momentary bout of stage fright.

"This one think maybe they expect us to get ass kicked," Shampoo remarked before her resolve once more hardened, "Maybe we surprise them, come out on top and show everyone who is better fighter."

"Don't get your victories lined up before we even get started, Sugar," Ukyo cautioned as she turned to regard their opponents, "Wouldn't do to jinx things at this point, even if we are gonna stomp butt on that Mikado creep and his klepto Ryoga-kidnapping partner."

But still as she pretended to give Senzenen her full, undivided attention, Ukyo was privately taking notice of the way her own companion was standing poised on her ice skates in her newly donned outfit, which was a fancier version of her normal Chinese cheosang jumpsuit, only embroidered with fancy stichery that formed a purple-and-gold dragon against a sky blue background. With her long purple locks done up in a somewhat fancier hairstyle than the usual odango ponytails that she seemed to habitually adopt on most occasions, there was something wild and exotic about the image she presented, so much so that a mere glance was all it took to take her breath away and make Ukyo think of her companion in terms ill-befitting an impending field of battle.

She took several deep breaths and reached inside to her center in an effort to calm her racing pulse beat, knowing full well that she could not afford to have sex on the brain when she was about to engage in mortal combat with a professional jerk-off like Senzenen. Ukyo forced her mind back into focus and let the image fill her vision of Senzenen and the really cute guy who had been blowing him just prior to the contest. As curiously arousing as the scene was (for reasons that she found rather surprising) it served to raise a surge of anger in her chest, allowing her to draw upon her Dark Force training since it was obvious that Mikado did not take her all that serious as a threat, a mistake for which she intended to make him suffer.

At her side Shampoo had less difficulty sorting out her own thoughts and priorities, but while Ukyo was clearly drawing upon anger for a weapon, Shampoo allowed herself to be calm and composed, harnessing the spiritual energies that dwelled at the center of her very being. For her there was no conflict between her lust for the cross-dressing Sith and her eagerness for battle for she had been trained to relish the fight as she would making out with a lover. Mikado and Azusa were just two pathetic outsiders who needed punishing and she felt no greater animosity towards them than this, but the one disturbing element that threatened her calm was the memory of what Senzenen had promised to do if she grew careless. Kissing an Amazon against her will was certainly the height of barbaric folly, yet the effect it had produced upon Ukyo was a priceless gem that Shampoo fully intended to savor, proof as it was that her companion was indeed concerned for her welfare.

In truth the idea of going into battle alongside Ukyo excited her since it would be the next best thing to making out with Ukyo between the silken bedsheets. Her love of battle would make this an interesting challenge, but she was even more curious to see what Ukyo would do when it came to the thick of the matter. Perhaps Shampoo would even allow Senzenen to get close enough to attempt to kiss her just to see what sort of a rise it would produce in her companion...but then she thought better of the attempt, realizing that her great grandmother was probably watching and would sternly reprimand her designated heir if Shampoo risked disgracing all Nyanchiczu in such a coy and careless manner.

"How absurd," Senzenen remarked aloud, breaking the mental interludes of both of his comely opponents, "You two are rank amateurs...this will be no contest at all. The lips of the far Shampoo are as good as mine to claim already."

For a moment Shampoo felt her ire begin to rise at the arrogant boast of the pretty-boy, but then her senses flared to life as Ukyo's aura intensified and her anger grew brighter. As much as Shampoo had been contemplating such a thing she was surprised to discover the extent to which Ukyo truly resented Mikado's promised territorial intrusion.

Ukyo balled her fists and glared her hate at the Bishonen fool before her. Oh yes, she had not forgotten his threat to kiss Shampoo, which had seemed a lot more amusing a while ago than it did at the moment, bringing a mental image of how near he had come only days ago to achieving such an event. Granted that the Amazon was an outrageous flirt and loved to flaunt herself in Ukyo's face during their long hours of practice together, (and given that she and Shampoo had been far more intimate in bed than Senzenen even suspected) but still the thought of this Boy-lover laying a finger on the Chinese Force Master's supple and altogether feminine body was enough to set Ukyo's blood to boiling.

As irrational as the emotion was, she felt a surge of jealousy ad fuel to the crimson fires that burned within her, and while with anyone else such emotions would be a dangerous distraction, for a Sith of Ukyo's level of training it meant that Mikado's fate was as good as sealed, for anger gave her focus and a purpose to strike with, and she never attacked with anything less than her full, best effort.

Meanwhile, back in the audience, Ranma felt something strange as he studied Ukyo's profile and said, "Oh man...Ucchan's pissed..."

"No fooling," Nabiki murmured beside him, "We've got readings off the scale, Captain, and if I didn't know better I'd swear she was about to reach around for her Light Saber."

"No," Kasumi said more calmly, "I sense that Kuonji-san intends to do this the hard way, slow and methodical with much punishment dealt out on a physical and spiritual level."

"You mean she's gonna trash his prissy ass?" Ursula grinned, "Now that I'd pay good money to see. 'Course her chances at present don't look too good...she's managing to stand upright on the ice, but Senzenen owns the rink, and that'll tell the difference."

"We will see about that," Kasumi murmured faintly, even as she and her loved ones continued to watch as the match was primed to begin, and then the Referee cried out, "BEGIN!" and the two sets of opponents began to come together.

Unknown to everyone else, however, another pair of eyes viewed the match from directly above the rink, and these narrowed into predatory slits as Darth Purge softly hissed to himself, "Very good, my apprentice...let us see how much you remember of my training."

His presence masked so that neither Ukyo nor Trieste could sense his nearness, Ukyo shot forward with Shampoo towards the Golden Pair, linking hands with her companion as they intuitively moved together in an aggressive move that they had learned at Elder Cologne's urging. All at once Ukyo slowed her pace and let Shampoo surge ahead of her, only to take firm grip of the Amazon's hands so that Shampoo was whipped forward unexpectedly, her legs shooting out like a pair of striking serpents.

Mikado was only mildly surprised at the aggressive attack and had already prepared one of his own when he saw the skates of the Amazon sailing towards him. Azusa had already by this time mounted up upon his shoulder and was in the air before Mikado had to move in order to avoid being slashed into ribbons. As fast as he was he did not fully escape unscathed and felt the brush of skates slice into his shirt without creasing his skin, but even so the cold draft this caused was enough to chill him at the implications, and suddenly a surge of cold anger filled his very being as he realized that the pair before him had much improved their skating prowess,

"Why you...!" Senzenen breathed, only to smile as he saw Azusa complete her arc and come down with skates bared at the unprepared Ukyo.

Her training in sensing danger was the only thing that spared Ukyo from a mashing as she ducked to the side while Azusa struck the spot where the former Sith had been standing. Before Ukyo could regain her bearings the little brown haired Kolhotz skater spun around in a tight arc and came whizzing back towards Ukyo, who was forced to let go of Shampoo in her haste to block this attack that she felt was surely impending.

But Azusa surprised her again by falling down to her knees, displaying an incredible degree of flexibility as she folded backwards and came jackknifing up again under the guard of the cross-dresser, and all at once Azusa struck, not a physical blow this time but rather she skated on past the surprised Ukyo with her true objective clutched tightly in both hands.

"Georgette, Azusa has found you!" Azusa happily declared, holding aloft Ukyo's prize battle spatula as though it were a favored trophy.

"HEY-GIVE THAT BACK!" Ukyo angrily declared, only to suffer a second surprise as she felt something else that was out of place, and then she belatedly saw the other thing that the kleptomaniac skater was clutching and said, "HEY-YOU JACKASS!"

"Paulette!" Azusa happily declared as she held up the blue ribbon that Ukyo normally used to tie her hair back in a pony tail, and she seemed to especially relish how disoriented this made the enraged chef since Ukyo's unbound hair was flying flee about her shoulders.

Meanwhile Shampoo was frantically working to avoid an impending collision with the side railing, calling upon her mastery of the Force to redirect her momentum lest her inexperience as a skater cause her to crash into the wall with bone-  
jarring effect. She had almost managed to recover when a figure streaked her way and intercepted Shampoo, catching her up in his arms and literally sweeping her off her feet before she could so much as utter a startled protest.

"I have you now, gentle maiden," Mikado gallantly boasted as he sped across the ring in a wide-arcing half-circle, "And since the fool who claims to be your partner is otherwise preoccupied..."

Shampoo's eyes widened as the boy attempted to kiss her, but she managed to twist her face out of the way at the last second, feeling disgust and nausea momentarily overcome her cool composure.

That was all it took to alert Ukyo to her danger, and like that the chef forgot about her rage against the annoying little thief, Azusa, to redirect the force of her wrath against that even more annoying twerp, Senzenen.

"Why do you resist me, beauteous one?" Senzenen asked even as maintaining his hold against any leverage that Shampoo might use to twist herself free from his embrace, "You know that it is destiny, so why fight the inevi-ARRRGGGHHH!"

Like that he went sailing through the air to crash into the far wall, losing his grip over the Amazon as an infuriated Ukyo snatched her back and slowed her own momentum in order to survey the effect her attack had created. Gone had been her unsteadiness on the ice as she had willed herself across the court in time to reach Mikado, getting one good shot in since the baka had been totally unprepared to meet her fist, which same had been fully backed up by the power of her Force-intensified training.

"Oooh," Ranma winced as he saw this, "That's gonna leave a mark..."

"Laugh that off, Jackass!" Ukyo snarled, no longer even recognizable as the crossdressing girl she had been before, jealousy and humiliation having transformed her aspect into that of a raging demon.

"Ucchan?" Shampoo gasped, surprised and a little frightened at this unexpected transformation.

She was even more disconcerted when Ukyo turned her wrath-filled eyes towards her, and the Amazon felt an unexpected gasp of what felt almost like fear begin to touch her heart as her erstwhile companion snarled, "What the hell did you think you were doing, you little Tease? Were you just gonna lay there and let that baka kiss you?"

"U-Ukyo?" Shampoo murmured in a surprisingly girlish voice.

"You..." and all at once Ukyo stopped herself, surprised to see herself reflected in the eyes of the beautiful girl before her, Shampoo's mental image filled with the sight of the chef's blazing anger directed towards her. It was like dousing cold water over an open flame, and like that Ukyo felt chilled to the bone, sobering up in an instant as she belatedly realized exactly what she had been doing.

"Sh-Shampoo?" she murmured, feeling shame begin to replace her former righteous fury, "I..."

Azusa had been watching all of this with rounded eyes, even more amazed than the audience at the force that Ukyo had briefly employed to dispatch her erstwhile partner. But once the chef had managed to calm herself down and behave more rationally Azusa immediately lost all interest, turning instead towards the fallen Senzenen, who was even then shaking off the effects of being Force-  
slammed (albeit he was still a lot more shaken than he dared let on by appearance).

"Miki...are you all right?" Azusa asked as she skated nearer to him.

"Ugh...of course I am, you silly twit," Mikado boasted as he began to push off the ice and regain his footing through an amazing display of resilience and stubborn pride, "It takes more than that to humble Senzenen Mikado."

"Oh come on," Ukyo sighed as she forced herself to look away from her still-  
worried companion, "As hard as I hit you? You shouldn't even be standing, Jackass."

"You jest," Senzenen replied as he held up better the more he allowed himself time to recover, "I've taken worse than that in normal training." Of course what he left unsaid was that it had been a VERY long time since anyone had struck him with quite that degree of force and fury.

"Interesting," Trieste murmured to herself from where she sat watching it all with rapt attention, "She mastered her fear and anger and turned them into a weapon, and then she pulled back from the edge of a truly dark chasm through sheer force of effort."

"For a moment there I was afraid that she was about to revert," Kimiko softly noted.

"As did I," Trieste slowly nodded, "But it appears that there is more to Kuonji Ukyo than even I have suspected, and I wonder not if the affection that she shares with Xian-Pu and your daughter might not be at the heart of her transfiguration."

"You are correct, Mistress," Kasumi informed them, "Ukyo has faced yet another test and come away far stronger for the effort."

"Yeah," Nabiki noted, "Only now that she's lost her berserker rage, you think she stands a chance against Senzenen?"

"Odds don't look too promising for that, Short-locks," Ursula remarked, unwittingly earning a cross look from Nabiki.

"Ucchan," Ranma said faintly, feeling concern for his former best friend-slash-  
ex-fianc e intensify as he felt the sudden urge to do something about this.

"Ucchan?" Shampoo was murmuring softly to Ukyo as they stood side-by-side regarding Mikado, "Is you all right?"

"Uh...guess I kinda lost it there...sorry about that, Sugar," Ukyo said sheepishly, only to glare at Senzenen once again as the latter coolly regained his full composure.

"How pathetic male jealousy is," the Bishonen skater snorted softly, "You had nothing to fear, I was only going to steal a kiss of the fair maiden and thereby spare you a beating...but now I see that you deserve nothing less than my full unfettered retribution."

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Ukyo snapped, "I'm sick and tired of your prissy little speeches. Listen up, Jackass, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once: 'Hands off of Shampoo,' or else what I just did to you will be a sample of what I'll do if you try that again."

"And why should I listen to anything you say upon the matter, Kuonji-san?" Mikado asked arrogantly, "Should that not be the choice of the fair Shampoo whose lips ought grace her beauty?"

This time it was Shampoo's turn to suffer a surge of inexplicable fury, "You no speak like that to Ukyo! She is twice the man you pretend to be, and this one will only let her kiss these lips, no some boy amateur who think he man enough for Amazon to take without asking."

Despite herself Ukyo felt strangely moved by the declaration, which only intensified the shame she felt for nearly frightening the girl by turning on her the wrath of her Sith anger. In spite of this she managed a smile and softly cautioned her would-be rival, "Better listen to what she says, Baka, or believe me, you'll be in for a lot worse than you imagine."

"And why should that be?" Mikado asked with a snooty demeanor.

"Because if you try kiss this one again she give you Kiss of Death, no marriage!" Shampoo snapped, "And if you try hurt Ucchan...then this one make you wish you dead."

It was Ukyo's turn to blink at this, but despite the confusion this brought to her emotions she felt something inside her warm to the emotions that she sensed in the other girl, and so her smile gained confidence as she spoke aloud, "Sugar...you'd better back off right away 'cause I think she's serious about that, and you don't wanna know what she's capable of when Sham-chan gets fully aroused, believe me."

"You're bluffing," Senzenen snorted, affecting a more nonchalant manner, "She is probably just shy...no doubt, being a foreigner, she is unaware of the great honor that I would bestow upon her by making her my one-thousand-and-oneth kiss."

"Or maybe you just make her sick," Azusa cheerfully noted, acting blissfully unaware of the look the Amazon gave her, and the slightly feral smile that crossed the lips of Shampoo as she took notice of Ukyo's stolen items, which caused a plan to hatch in the crafty mind of the purple haired Force Mistress.

"Ukyo...you want spatula and ribbon back?" Shampoo asked of her companion at the level of a stage whisper.

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "Well...sure thing, Sugar, but..."

"Leave everything up to this one," Shampoo calmly urged, "Shampoo make stupid ribbon girl regret that she tangle with Amazon and her sworn heart-sister."

"Her...what?" Ukyo blinked, wondering why the sound of that made her suddenly quite nervous.

"Hooboy," Ranma murmured from where he sat on edge gripping the bench, feeling the intensity of his need to do something nearly overwhelm the certain knowledge that this was an honor fight for which he had no right to intrude, but he felt very strongly that he should have been the one out there protecting his lady friends from a worthless rake like this Mikado Senzenen.

Unbeknownst to him his two iinazuke were eyeing his profile with growing concern shared within their own breasts, Nabiki feeling torn between sympathy for Ranma's concerns and her own nascent jealousy that he should be this protective towards another woman, and no less than a former rival.

And Kasumi...she felt something...strange in the air quite apart from the conflict between Jedi, Sith and Skaters. There was something greatly disturbing her, some sense of vague alarm that was centered upon her immediate family yet somehow involved Ranma as well, but try as she might she could not focus upon the source of this disturbance. She only knew that something dire was in the air waiting to strike at them, and that when it hit they would all need to be ready.

"Probably just nervous indigestion," she heard Ursula murmur beside her, "I can recommend something for that if it's bothering your stomach, Kasumi-chan."

"Eh...no thank you," Kasumi gently declined, but then something else occurred to her and she stretched out her senses, wondering as she did so, **What has happened to Akane...?**

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Relationship Issues: shadowmane

What has happened to Akane, and how does it effect the evil plans that Darth Purge and his minion have put into motion? Can Ukyo and Shampoo prevail against the Golden Pair, or will they suffer the fate of all who have come before them, and can Senzenen ever shut up about how great he is? Find out the answers to this and so much more in, "Ice-Storm of the Century," or, "'Til Death Do We Get Parted!" Be there!

X 


	35. Chapter 35

JediKasumi35

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

[Special thanks to Rann Aridorn for ideas and inspiration that helped in the creation of this chapter...]

Episode Thirty-Five.

Rules of Attraction and Repulsion

THE STORY SO FAR:

As the match between the Golden Pair and the Force Masters Shampoo and Ukyo begins in earnest another drama is taking place elsewhere within the Kolhotz Sporting Arena...

Akane and her reluctant iinazuke,  
Kodachi, have just rescued a drugged Ryoga from the cage he was trapped within by the kleptomaniac skater,  
Shiratori Azusa, and are attempting to sober him up in time to get back to witness the match that is taking part on the skating arena...

Meanwhile Darth Purge and his minion, Pantyhose Taro, are elsewhere within the Building intending to get their revenge against the Jedi Knight,  
Trieste, and her disciples, the Tendo Sisters Kasumi and Nabiki, as well as their mutual iinazuke, Saotome Ranma...

And while all of this is taking place yet another player in our little drama is about to re-enter the scene, one who will play a crucial role in deciding the balance in the war between the Sith and the Jedi...

"Now where am I, and how do I find my way to the sporting arena?"

Hikaru Gosunkuji looked around at the strange high school campus, totally out of his element and certain that just being there was asking to get his ass kicked by the local toughs, who would doubtlessly recognize him as a Furinkan High School student. That was usually the pattern that befell him wherever he went, the local pecking order would assert itself and guys like Gosunkuji were literally on the bottom of the food chain. Would not even matter to them that he had only been a student of a rival campus for a very short period of time, just the symbolic representation of being attached to an enemy establishment was cause enough to justify severe reprisals.

The last thing he needed was to be waylaid on his way to watch the match between Ukyo, Shampoo and the Golden Pair. He was only recently recruited into the ranks of promising candidates for training with the Jedi but already he had learned so much about calming the strange abilities that had been with him all of his life, and that was almost like being accepted into a family or group, an experience unique to his existence. Even his own family had never treated him like he belonged to them, and it was not just because of his precognition...his very condition itself was a barrier to full acceptance.

Being slightly built and pallid with hollow cheeks and a face that might look well on a cadaver he was no one's ideal of a perfect son or boyfriend. Women tended to ignore him, men acted like he was not there half of the time...and when they did notice him it was with scorn and derision, invariably leading to violence and rejection. The advantage of this was that he could pass as almost invisible among strangers, but when he was the focus of attention what he represented to the average observer was a mistake and a freak of nature. He made people feel disgusted, and they seemed to think his looks were somehow contagious, that merely touching him (other than with a fist, of course) might transmit his condition. Even the Yakuza had regarded him as a walking joke better fit to be buried, and if his former employer had not seen a use for him and thus offered his protection...well, Hikaru did not need to imagine what those thugs might have done with him for their own dark amusement.

And yet the Tendos had treated him with kindness...and Kasumi had protected him while her teacher had praised Gosunkuji and seemed to believe that he had serious potential. That was why he had to risk himself like this, to offer his support to the Jedi in respect for offering him to teach him, and for allowing him to believe that he might somehow find a place in the light of the world after all. It meant more to him than he could convey in words, and though there was little he could do to repay their kindness he needed to demonstrate to them that he was worthy of their confidence, that he would study hard and learn all that they had to teach him, and maybe one day live up to the potential that Sensei Trieste had said that she had seen within him.

But first he had to find the arena so he could show up as he had promised, and to do that he had to make an intelligent guess on which direction to take or he might be very late and would miss the challenge match between the Force Masters and Golden Pair. If only his precognition could assist him in deciding his way, or if his training was far enough along that he could stretch out with his feelings and...

"There you are...Gosunkuji-san, right?"

"Eh?" Gosunkuji was so startled that he almost jumped out of his skin. Much to his surprise the one addressing him was a very pretty girl who seemed to be about his age, and yet she was looking at him as though she had been seeking to find him, and she seemed somehow familiar with her curly brown hair, dark eyes and...

"Where have you been?" the girl asked in mild exasperation, then she doubly startled Gosunkuji by reaching out to grip him by the wrist, "Come on, we have to hurry or we'll miss the fight, and Sempai will be very cross with us for not being there to wish her friends on to victory."

"Huh?" Gosunkuji reacted with surprise as the girl started dragging him forward, "Your...sempai?"

"You know," she sounded more amused this time and flashed him a smile before elaborating, "Tendo Nabiki, the sister to Kasumi, the girl who helped to save your life? She's my friend and...well, I'm kind of like her right-hand assistant. We met the other day, remember? My name is Ryonami, and it's very nice to see you."

"It is?" Gosunkuji was having trouble sorting out these strange events, that a beautiful girl had taken the time to come look for him, and at the instruction of Tendo Nabiki, who clearly WANTED him to be present at the match involving a pair of fellow Jedi?

"Of course it is, silly," the brown haired girl brightly chided, "Sensei Trieste was asking what had become of you, and even Ranma-kun volunteered to see if you had made it to the Kolhotz campus."

"Ranma," Gosunkuji paused to wonder about that, unused as he was to viewing another man as anything but a threat waiting to strike him down, and it was usually the jock types who were the bane of his existence. Yet here was a guy who had it all...strength, looks and a way with the ladies...and he was actually offering to leave their side to come looking for Hikaru Gosunkuji?

It was difficult to credit, and almost reflexively Gosunkuji tried to think of what ulterior motive Ranma might have for his seeming generosity. The act shamed Hikaru the moment he realized what he was doing, the more so as he could not think of a single thing that Ranma had to gain by making his offer. It was even possible to imagine that Ranma had made the offer in his usual off-handed way, as if he need not bother to have to give it a second thought, as though it were perfectly natural to go out of his way for a guy he had only recently met.

In a lot of ways Gosunkuji both liked and hated Ranma, resenting him for the very qualities that Gosunkuji envied, his strength and virility, the way that such beautiful girls as Nabiki and Kasumi came onto him and were willing to share in a night of glorious passion. As strange and perverse as that sounded, with them it actually seemed both natural and wonderful without needing to make sense in any conventional manner...

All at once Gosunkuji staggered, and then the images flooded into his mind, of a looming shape that hovered over his new friends and Sensei, and then...terrible images...a flash of something both bright and dark that struck a fatal blow, and then an explosion of pain and grief that was overwhelming, followed by nothingness and a dark, terrible horizon that stretched out in all directions, swallowing all hope forever and ever...

"Are you all right?" he heard Ryonami ask in what sounded like genuine concern for his welfare, "Gosunkuji-kun...?"

"Guh...ah...I...yeah...I think so," Gosunkuji said, fighting hard as though the breath had been knocked out of his lungs, only the next moment he straightened up and cried, "No! It can't happen like that! I won't let it! Not to Sensei..."

"What?" Ryonami asked, only to blink in redoubled surprise as the slight boy gripped her fiercely and all but shook her in his anxious desperation.

"Take me to Sensei...now!" he hissed, trying to convey a sense of overwhelming urgency, "I have to get there in time to warn her...warn her about the shadow!"

Ryonami was confused at the alarming sense of terrible need in the boy's tone and expression, but she was accustomed enough to the unusual from hanging around with Nabiki that she knew better than to waste time with pointless questions. Besides, the boy was clearly upset about something, and the only one who would know what to do about this was her beloved Sempai, so she took Gosunkuji by the hand and drew him along with greater haste than before, feeling a cold chill run down her spine that whispered terrible things were in the offing, and that somehow they had to act quickly to prevent a tragedy from happening the likes of which her young mind stoutly refused to imagine...

"Guh..." Ryoga spurted as hot water gushed over his diminishing frame, "Ah-  
what? Who...?"

"Easy there, Hibiki-san," Akane urged as the boy that she and Kodachi were dunking under the showerhead flailed aimlessly against their best efforts to hold him steady, "You're all right now...we got you out of there, so just take it easy."

"Ah...my tongue...feels like soap..." he worked his mouth, trying to get some water in so he could wash out the taste.

"That would be the effect of the drugs working through your system," another feminine voice pointedly noted, "Give yourself a few moments and you ought to be feeling somewhat better."

Ryoga felt strangely calm when he realized that the two dark-haired shapes before his still-clouded vision were both women, yet still his mind was too fogged for instant recognition. With less of the energy of fear in his voice this time he said, "Who...who are you again?"

"Tendo Akane and Kuno Kodachi," one of the two shapes said somewhat defensively, "You do remember us...don't you?"

"Uh...kinda," Ryoga's vision began to clear as they pulled him out from under the showerhead, but still he had difficulty placing the names and faces to anything definite in his memories, so he said after a minute, "Um...were we enemies? I don't have many friends...I mean...practically none to speak of, but..."

"What about Kuonji Ukyo?" the dark haired girl with the ponytail asked, and immediately her query obtained a forcible reaction.

"Ukyo?" Ryoga gasped, "Where is she? Is she safe?"

"Safe?" the one named Akane asked, "Um...well, that all depends. She's going up against Senzenen Mikado...and, well, safe is a relative term..."

"I'm not talking about him," Ryoga said brusquely, "Taro! He's after her, I just know it! He and Ucchan never saw eye-to-eye over anything, and I know that he'd like nothing less than to get back at her sometime during the match..."

"That would make a kind of sense, really," Akane turned to her companion, "Maybe he isn't just after you, Kodachi-chan. After all, he did say he was here on other business."

"Eh...yes, I suppose that this is so," Kodachi noted, still trying to absorb what she had just witnessed of the Hibiki boy's transformation from snout-faced pig-man to a rather attractive (if wild-maned) young man.

Ryoga sought to regain his footing, leaning heavily against the wall (and feeling grateful that he at least had his clothes on in the presence of the two ladies), "Taro's dangerous...he's nobody you can underestimate...but...I seem to remember somebody else...saying he wanted to hurt Ucchan."

"That would either be Senzenen Mikado or his somewhat demented partner, Shiratori Azusa," Kodachi duly noted, "They are in competition together even as we speak."

"Yeah, and I'm missing it...and I'm supposed to be at least one of their coaches," Akane winced, "Look, Hibiki-san...can you walk? Because we need to make time if we're going to get back to the arena floor in time to watch the match."

"That is assuming that Kuonji-san and her rather nubile partner can last that long," Kodachi cautioned, "The Golden Pair are said to be ruthless in their area of sport, and few opponents who stand against them do so for very long, or even leave the arena in an upright condition."

"Shampoo and Ucchan won't be that easy to put down," Akane snorted, "And if Senzenen tries anything dirty he's gonna be in for a surprise against Ucchan."

"I salute your loyalty to your...friends," Kodachi pronounced the word with a curious emphasis before adding softly, "But I am being practical here, and time is not in our favor. The longer we delay here..."

"Right," Akane said tightly, "I agree with you on that. You feel good enough to go, Hibiki-san, or do you want Kodachi and me to carry you?"

Nascent pride caused Ryoga to square his shoulders and stoutly ignore the rumbling protest within his stomach, "I can manage on my own. Just...lead the way...I don't think I could find it by myself."

"Yes," Kodachi remarked, "I had heard that you have some difficulty with your direction sense. Have you ever consulted a professional to determine why that is?"

Ryoga did the best he could to glare at the aristocratic dark-haired girl, but as he started to push past her he overheard her murmuring, "Well...so much for a thank you."

That caused him to pause in his tracks, and then Ryoga worked over his pride, remembering the good manners that he had learned from his long-lost mother, which prompted him to say, "Thank you...for rescuing me from that cage. Now let's get to the arena."

Akane paused before taking the lead, turning to Kodachi and murmuring, "Well, what do you know, a Sith actually knows how to say thank you."

"Wonders never cease," Kodachi replied, giving Ryoga a side-glance at his manly profile and contrasting him with the monstrous visage that he had been wearing mere moments before, then sadly shook her head and murmured softly, "It never fails...meet a cute boy and he turns out to be something other than you expected."

Ryoga did not know exactly why that comment caused him to blush fiercely, but he stoutly ignored the involuntary flush, intent as he was in finding Ukyo before anything bad could happen to her, and fearing greatly that they might be too late as either Taro or Senzenen would have time enough to carry out their evil intentions...

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

The Republic had been at peace for over a thousand standard years, since the time of the last great Chaotic campaign where the Jedi had put down the revolt of the Sith and brought order to a weary cosmos. All was not well in paradise, however, and there were dark stirring along the fringes, whisperings of shadows rising up once again to threaten the stability dearly bought through the pain, blood and sacrifice of so many.

The Jedi Council had come into being for the sole purpose of insuring that the Sith would never rise again, but now there were definite signs that the serpents had been let loose in paradise and it was all that the Council could do to trace down the source of this re-infestation. The Dark side was out of balance to the Light and someone was pulling the strings and manipulating people, and as a consequence a good man had died needlessly from a scourge they had thought long ago to have been abolished. The Council got the message loud and clear and had vowed to investigate the matter, yet so far nothing had come of their intensive probes into the looming shadows.

Still and all it became clear that someone had trained the assassin who called himself Darth Maul, that a powerful fighter able to go toe-to-toe against two experienced Jedi could not have gotten that good without a teacher knowledgeable in the ways of the Force. Clearly there was a Master to this Sith who was lurking well hidden within the background, and so a new course was adopted and the Council commissioned one of its own to spearhead a new investigation. Trieste had volunteered to be their "point man," and thus began an odyssey that would bring her near to the truth, albeit too late to avert the coming Armageddon.

Trieste had been with the Council for a number of years, yet she was by far the youngest and lowest ranking member of the group, and still a bit "wet behind the ears" on matters not relating at all towards her skills as a Jedi Mistress. She had been adopted into the Jedi Corps at an early age and was apprenticed to a senior Jedi for almost fifteen years before being allowed to undertake the trials that established her right to be called a full-fledged Jedi. In that time she had seen much of the known Universe and was well equipped to handle herself in many an exotic locale, and her experiences had earned her much wisdom and praise among her peers, and in time her feats had been recognized by the Jedi Council, which adopted her as a formal member to replace her predecessor upon her retirement from active adventuring.

Trieste had been greatly awed to sit in the presence of senior Jedi that included such living legends as Mace Windom and Master Yoda. She had sat in council listening more often than offering comment, but those times when she had spoken her words had carried weight and were accepted as something more than youthful exuberance. This was extremely gratifying as she knew her voice was that of a young woman still many decades shy of being their peer, but while she was far from the youngest Jedi ever to share a seat in the Council, she was keenly aware of being far less adept in the ways of the Force than her fellow Councilors, which often led her to wonder why she had been asked to join in the first place.

Master Yoda said it was to offer the perspective of a younger person, while Mace Windom offered that her role was that of someone active and energetic who could serve the Council as more than just another sedentary armchair theorist. She understood that to mean that she could go places that other council members might lack the time and energy to handle. That accounted for her often being dispatched to far away places, to make evaluations and give testament of her observations to the Council. She was doing the legwork that kept the Council informed about the Universe at large, and in time she came to accept her role as vital and necessary, and she performed her missions with routine efficiency and daring.

Yet still she did not undertake the sort of wild adventures that she had known in her youth, and over time she felt herself growing soft and complacent as her duties were less eventful than those of actual Jedi in the field doing missions of vital importance to universal peace, often at great peril, as was the case of Qui Gon Jin, a man she much envied from afar. Now there was a Jedi Knight who embodied the best that was in their order, and perhaps he was a bit prideful and aloof and more of a rebel than other Jedi, still he spoke his own mind and acted from the heart as a Jedi should do. Against her will she found herself admiring him on other levels, even feeling a stray thought or two that tempted her beyond the limits of what was proper for a Jedi.

Yet always the code came to mind, and her rigid obedience to the teachings of her mentor, the code that had been laid down by the council over a thousand years before in the wake of their battles with the Sith in an effort to prevent a recurrence of what led to the creation of the Dark Jedi:

"A Jedi shall know neither anger, nor hate, nor love..."

A harsh code, one that demanded much study and self-sacrifice, for the power of a Jedi arose more from the heart than from the intellect or body. Learning to love in a general sense meant regarding all life as precious and sacred. This contrasted sharply with the ability to kill when one encountered a life form that was at odds with the cause of life itself...the killers and vicious criminal types who took without sharing and left sorrow in their wake. Being a Jedi often meant being a surgeon dealing with the cancers of society, and it was knowing when to cut-and when not to-that made a Jedi Knight apart from other warriors and adventures who carried lethal weapons. That meant that they had to keep apart from other sentient beings and do their loving from afar, for tomorrow they might be forced to kill, and the Universe itself would judge the rightness of their actions.

She had believed this for many years, and indeed her adventures had seemed to reinforce her training for she could feel by the Force how innocents suffered while injustice prevailed, especially in the outer provinces where Republican justice was seen more in the breech than the observance. Getting involved on the personal level was dangerous, even reckless and could lead one onto the path of the Dark Side. That was what Master Yoda stressed over and over again, and he was by far the oldest and wisest of the Jedi. Surely he must know better than any what dangers lay in store for those who allowed themselves to be governed by their emotions, and so she denied her own womanhood, ignored the calling of her heart and stood steadfast and resolute as a loyal member of her order.

And then Qui Gon Jin was dead and gone, and the opportunity to seek him out was denied to her forever.

It still pained her to recall the events that led up to the demise of one of the greatest of the Jedi. She recalled being present when Qui Gon and his young Padawan, Obiwan Kenobi, had brought a young child to the Council for training. Trieste remembered looking into the eyes of the boy and finding herself briefly lost into the depths of those incredible sky blue orbs, feeling the impact of the Force that flowed within him. Untrained, unknowing, innocent of many things, far too knowledgeable of other terrible things far beyond his age group. She watched in silence as he was tested and verified, and the findings were incredible, for the boy unquestionably had the greatest potential of any young candidate ever to enter the halls of the Jedi.

And yet...

Master Yoda had insisted. The boy knew Fear, he had tasted too much of life and was not a blank slate that they could write upon. Bonds of love attached him to his mother and that left him vulnerable to the Dark Side, and thus he was too dangerous to receive their training. Too many things could go wrong to turn the boy's tremendous potential towards evil emotions, and thus they would deny his calling. To do otherwise was to leave the Jedi themselves open to future betrayal and outside manipulation.

Qui Gon-not surprisingly-had rejected the Council's wisdom and insisted that this Anakin Skywalker become his Padawan in spite of Yoda's judgement. It was a more intense dispute from that of any other that Trieste had witnessed between them (and she had heard rumors about other occasions that predated her joining the ranks of the council). Trieste had thought him foolhardy and reckless, but at the same time she had felt sympathy and admiration of the man's integrity and forthrightness.

In truth the boy was clearly the product of unusual circumstances, but that did not justify giving up on him just because he had some life experiences denied many candidates, especially the ones adopted as orphans by the Jedi. It was wrong to deny his potential the way the Council had done, as if turning him loose into the world was any better than seeking to guide him into mastering his fear and turning it towards the perfect love that would be needed by the Jedi.

All of that came to the fore when Trieste had learned of the death of a man she had idolized from a distance. Though she did not actively blame the council for the events leading to Qui Gon's death, she had felt an unaccountable sadness and grief at his loss, and a need to discover the true identity of his killer. She had thus prevailed upon the council to give her leave to explore this issue, and-against his own stated reluctance-Yoda himself had given her a leave of absence to satisfy her unvoiced hunger, and so she had begun her quest to learn the secret of the return of the Sith, confident in the knowledge that Obiwan would assume the mantle of Anakin's training.

At the beginning all that she had to go by was a name that had been obtained from the captured emissary of the Trade Federation, Darth Maul, the Sith who had ruthlessly murdered Qui Gon in support of the Trade Federation's occupation of planet Nabu. By description Maul was identified as being from a race known as the Kolnar, yet when Trieste had visited their home system she had learned only scant details about a clan outcast who had disappeared some ten standard years ago without a trace of his passing. The mystery intensified the more she delved into the tattered life behind this renegade Kolnar's fierce visage, yet while the trial had gone strangely cold over the years, the rumors of a shadowy figure who had been seen in his presence near the end only confirmed in Trieste's mind that he had been recruited by a Sith Lord and trained to be a living weapon against the Jedi.

More investigation had lead her to a very different system not far removed from Kolnar, and there on the desolate edge of the Republic she had discovered a planet named Vielza, a hot jungle world with many swamps and deserts fringing the borders of what passed for civilization, and there came upon a place that her sources claimed was the property of a shadowy figure named Sidious whom no one had ever claimed to meet directly. There she discovered a hidden stronghold that she became convinced was the training ground of a Sith Lord, yet the most curious thing in her investigations was a connection to one Senator Palpatine of planet Nabu, a man only recently elevated to the ranks of Supreme Chancellor of the Republic itself, a discovery that had potentially universe-shaking potential.

Trieste had met Palpatine on many formal occasions and had felt an instinctive dislike of the man that went beyond anything reasonable that she could suggest upon conscious reflection. There was something about the fellow that was too slick and oily, like a cunning beast who hid his true intent from others behind clever words that were aimed at masking his hidden meanings. Other than that she had been rather unimpressed with the fellow, taking him for a typical politician who was out for his own grandeur and thus not interesting enough to be worth the attention of a Jedi.

Yet what if that were only the outward mask that the fellow wore to hide the man who existed beneath the fa ade? What if Palpatine were somehow a very different man from what others took him to be, and what if he were the very opposite of the thing that he pretended? Could it be possible for such a one to conceal his thoughts so carefully that even the Jedi would not sense what was hidden underneath? Was it even conceivable that he was the silent puppet master responsible for manipulating the events surrounding Nabu, and who had dispatched Darth Maul as his agent to either destroy or discredit the Jedi? But to have such an ability of masking himself against even Yoda's perceptions would imply mind skills far beyond that possessed by any ordinary sentient. In fact, only a Jedi of great skill could wear one face while hiding the other so thoroughly, a Jedi or...

A Sith Lord.

How many times had Yoda lectured her upon the cunning deceits of the Sith and how difficult it was to perceive the movements of the Dark Side? What if Sidious and Palpatine were one and the same? In which case it would mean that the Republic itself was now in the hands of a Sith Lord. The thought was indeed quite chilling, and yet it made perfect sense in light of all the jagged pieces that she had been trying to put together in her investigation. Of course this was mere speculation on her part, but if she presented her findings to Yoda and the others they might be able to yield the proof that would be needed to discredit or exposed Palpatine, which meant that she had to return in great haste or else miss their one opportunity to save the Republic from certain disaster.

Before she could make such a move, however, she found herself being confronted by a man whom she thought certain she could have trusted under better circumstances. Imagine her surprise upon meeting the mentor of her old teacher, Count Doku. Doku seemed to know something about her travels and investigation, and he had come looking for her with the intent of learning what she had discovered. She naturally (and quite naively) told him all the facts that she had so far to date gathered and he complimented her upon her thoroughness, expressed shock and concern upon learning of the implications against Palpatine and agreed at once to support her when she presented her discoveries before the council so that they could stop the Sith before they could carry through on their evil intentions.

And then he tried to kill her...and almost succeeded.

Looking back on that event Trieste could see how foolish she had been, lowering her guard for a crucial minute in the presence of an elder Jedi statesmen whom she had much respected in the past. Doku's attack had been cunningly planned down to the last detail, and he succeeded in wounding her with his Light Saber, yet at the last minute Trieste had fallen through a shaft and wound up tumbling off the side of a cliff into the desolate valley that had lain beneath the iron complex. Doku appeared to have been satisfied that she had met her demise, and her life signs must have been low enough that he had mistaken her for one either dead or dying. Her agony had been great and it was a certainty that without medical aid she would have died anyway within a matter of hours.

Instead she woke up an eternity later finding herself in some manner of primitive hut being tended to by one of the locals, a reptilian Lizard Man whose name-she shortly thereafter discovered-was Mudge.

Mudge was a craftsman and a former warrior of his tribe of desert-dwelling Slith nomads, scavengers who eked out a living by trading and farming with local Vielza villages for basic needs and whatever articles of technology that they could not produce for themselves. He was also a half-way competent healer with a wide knowledge of Apothecary medicines, some of which were even more effective than more conventional treatments, as he demonstrated for her by treating the wounds inflicted upon her by the treacherous Doku.

Still and all her healing process took time and she was forced to abide with Mudge, allowing him to care for her while she gradually learned something about his people, culture and language. In time she came to understand something about the complex social arrangements that bound his clan together, and she got to know several of his closest relatives, including a clan-brother named Sludge, who took an instant disliking to her since she was "Urkast," or, "not-clan," meaning that she was human, not Slith. Sludge especially disapproved of her close association with Mudge, in spite of them being "just friends" (insofar as either of them would admit to the subject).

Yet Trieste was restless and wanted to get back to the galactic civilization to which she was accustomed. She had urgent news to share with the rest of the Jedi Council...and for some peculiar reason she seemed unable to reach them on a psychic level. There was some sort of interference blocking out her ability to communicate by long range with the Force, as though some dark vortex were obstructing long-range communication...and Doku had long ago disposed of the ship that she had used to arrive upon this planet. The elders tightly monitored commerce with the outside, and they did not want her to leave their midst until they were fully convinced that she would not betray their innermost secrets to the "Outsiders." Time and again she was frustrated in her efforts to find a means of leaving the planet, and all the while the universe beyond went about its ways without the knowledge she held being shared with her fellow Jedi.

She had lost her Light saber during her fight against Doku, and without it she lacked the means of forcing her will against the Elders. There was no way of obtaining the parts that she needed to build another one, and the Slith were too primitive to manufacture the tools and materials that would be needed. She had to bide her time and gather her strength to herself, and so she practiced what patience she had and sought to find a means of escaping her virtual prison. She was not physically prohibited from traveling within the range of Slith territorial boundaries, yet the wilderness was perilous and she might fall prey to roving marauders. There was also the possibility that Doku himself might have posted agents to keep watch against her continued survival, and so she had to wait and find another way of escaping from this hostile planet, doing as much as she could to befriend the locals while having to endure their near-continuous hostility and suspicion.

And through it all there was Mudge to offer her his wise and patient counsel. Trieste had never known a man like him, so at peace with his surroundings, to much at ease with his fellow living creature. A warrior until he had been severely wounded in battle, he had taken to forcible retirement as though he had been given a promotion, and his clawed hands were incredibly skilled when it came to carving rock and wood into pleasing shapes that he would carefully sand down until their surface gleamed like living plastic. His words would often soothe her nerves when her own patience was tested to its limit, and when he sang a song of his clan his voice was surprisingly soothing yet uplifting. His constant presence became a comfort for her, and she began to see him more than just a scaly-faced lizard man, she began to see the noble being within him, and in discovering his inner core found herself greatly drawn to the light that burned so brightly within him.

Almost against her will she was becoming attached to him, both emotionally and spiritually, fully against the Code of the Jedi that barred such personal associations. At last she knew that she had to confront the issue with Mudge directly, and to no great surprise discovered that he had advice of his own to share in regards to her concerns, as well as the code that she was breaching:

"You Jedi put such stock in being aloof from other beings," he said with that oddly sardonic tilt of his head that always conveyed both perception and amusement, "Yet what is your code but selfishness, keeping your wisdom to yourselves rather than sharing your knowledge with others."

"You are calling us elitist?" she had protested, "But we are the guardians and protectors of the Republic, and to share what we know would risk exposing them to ideas for which they are not ready..."

"And why is it that they are not ready?" Mudge readily countered, "Can it be that you have not trusted them to make good use of your knowledge? You speak often of the temptations of the Dark side of the Force, yet people fall prey to those temptations all the time because they are not aware of the source of their temptation. Do you honestly think that anyone would choose to do evil if he were fully aware of the spiritual consequences of their actions?"

"Yes," Trieste protested, "I have known many beings who take great delight in doing evil..."

"Because they know no other way to live," Mudge calmly noted, "And what have you done to show them an alternative? What is evil itself but the corruption of otherwise good impulses? Greed is only the excessive desire for the means to support ones self, far beyond what is adequate. Hate is but the rage we feel towards those whom we fear or resent for some personal reason. Anger is a response to a perceived threat posed to our very being, or towards our identity, as when my brother rages at you for being Urkast."

"Well, what about your own people and the way you clannishly refuse to allow me contact with my own people?" Trieste then angrily attempted to counter, "You are holding me here as a virtual prisoner simply because you fear to let me tell the universe that you exist..."

"I will not defend the foolishness of my kin in their insistence that you remain with us," Mudge answered, "But you have to concede that they have good grounds for their suspicion. After all, it was a Jedi who created that stronghold near where I found you, and a Jedi who injured you, and there is fear that any revelation that you have lived with us for so long might bring the wrath of that renegade down upon our villages. Can you assure us that this would not happen, that you could be discrete about your whereabouts for the past several years and somehow can convince your fellow Council members to keep secret your activities while here, not even knowing for a fact which other Jedi there might be who would side with your enemies in violation of this code of which you speak so highly?"

Trieste could not think of a reason that would countermand his wisdom, and she had to privately concede that there was a danger that the Jedi Council had been undermined far worse than the mere defection of Count Doku. After all, if Chancellor Palpatine himself were behind the rise of the Sith and the rebellion of the Trade Federation, then certainly the conspiracy might run even deeper than she could imagine. Just showing up out of no where with no explanation of her whereabouts was a tacit invitation for Doku to trace her back to the Slith and visit upon them the most terrible of reprisals...

Despite her knowing this she still felt an unaccountable wave of fear taking hold over her being, and after so many years of remaining calm and aloof over her emotions she found the call of the Dark side within her caused her to erupt like a volcano, spewing out angry words and denouncements in the direction of the nearest available target. It was frightening how easy it was to give in to the rule of her own long-suppressed emotions, and to turn her unexpected rage towards one who had never offered her anything but kindness...

Surprisingly Mudge seemed to anticipate her volatile explosion and moved to counter it despite the heavy weights kicked up by the mind-storm of her telekinesis. With his huge frame he resisted her brief tirade, wrapping her in his arms and holding on firmly, not hard enough to hurt but with just enough force to ride out the waves of Force that stirred around her. Only when the moment passed and she regained hold over her emotions did she become cognizant of what she was doing, and then she clamped down hard, shutting off the flow with as much fierceness as she had employed in their release

For a long time after this she clung to Mudge, holding tightly to his scaly frame while she breathed in the scent of his sandalwood aroma. It was strangely comforting to find herself embraced in this manner, and oddly it reminded her of what it must have felt like to be held by her mother...a memory so dim and fleeting that she could not even be certain that it was real or just the product of her lonely imagination.

Then, from a very long distance outside her small little world, she heard the being holding her remark, "It's never easy letting go...and how long has it been that you've been holding that inside you?"

"I beg your pardon?" Trieste managed to ask in quiet confusion.

The warmth of his laugh surprised her as he explained, "You Jedi try ignoring your emotions, yet in the end emotion is the source of your strength, at the very heart of your power. You fear to act from the heart, yet in the end this fear is what limits you. To be as one, to flow with the Force of your very spirit, you must acknowledge that the source of your strength is compassion...just as your enemies use fear as a weapon...and who has been gaining the most lately? That must be the riddle of your very being."

"I fear to act from the heart...because my heart is a stranger these days," Trieste admitted, feeling the beat of her heart as it hammered loudly within her chest, clinging to the brawny chest of the lizard man as she felt the force of his spirit calling out to her, and suddenly it did not matter that they were from two entirely different species.

That night she discovered more about their anatomical differences, and it was a wondrous revelation, discovering how the nerve centers of his body differed from her own, and with that discovery she further learned how skilled the hands of a craftsman were when employed to the art of consummate pleasure. His body was harder than hers and yet yielded smoothly to her touch with the smoothness of well oiled leather. Her body was softer and more yielding, yet possessed of hidden strength and tensile flexibility that seemed to fascinate him ever so much as she yielded to his embrace. His kind was certainly equipped differently and had a far different function than mammalian sex organs, yet they found a way of bridging the gap between anatomies to achieve a union that was whole and perfect unto itself, uniting them as one being for the brief time that they shared a point of mutual satiation, after which everything melted into a wondrous languor of writhing limbs and bodies, resulting in a tenderness the like for which there is no earthly description...

It was never their intention for either of them to fulfill the dire prophesies of Mudge's brother, yet they had somehow become lovers in a very real sense, and for the first time ever Trieste abandoned the Code that had been at the very center of her life. She learned that, in point of fact, embracing her emotions did not weaken her or leave her open to the manipulations of the Dark side. Rather it opened her up to the wonders of the universe on a level that she had never before imagined, and suddenly everything around her was new and original. Even the deserts and swamps that she had known and explored for the several years of her imposed exile seemed more alive to her than ever, and every living thing spoke to her in a song of joy and celebration. The Force flowed more clearly within her, and she understood at last how everything was connected from the earthly to the most transcendent level of their universal being.

For the first time in her young life she knew what true happiness could mean, and she was content to languish in his brawny arms for many a night of bliss during which time she briefly forgot all about her plans for leaving his world and seeking contact with the Jedi. Yet in time Mudge himself grew restless, and he understood on a level beyond words that she needed to have closure, to complete her original mission in order to find true contentment.

That was when he proposed to her a means for overcoming the curious dark force that was blocking her from achieving full contact with the Jedi, and with her new found awareness of a universal purpose to all things she listened carefully to his words and saw the wisdom of his perception.

"You fear the Dark and cling to the light, yet what is darkness without light? What is light without shadow? Is one truly capable of being complete without the other? Can your Jedi truly know the Force if they shun the half of it that is unknown to them? Why then not embrace the Darkness and accept it as a part of your very being? You do not need to let the Darkness rule you...denying it only leads to that end, as you so recently discovered."

She understood at last what he was saying to her, and it was as if a light had opened up in her mind, exposing her to a new perception of the Force that had been beyond her previous comprehension. Light and Darkness were meant to be in balance, yet they had been out of balance for so long due to the result of the previous Sith war, when the Dark had sought to swallow the Light and plunge the universe into chaos and disorder.

Yet what was Darkness but the shadow that Light created by its absence, and could the one truly exist without the other? Obviously not...nor did one have to succumb to the darkness by merely acknowledging its existence. One could feel the presence of the Dark the same way that one felt heat, cold or any other kind of sensation...and the Dark was indeed quite cold, yet the universe was full of both elements keeping the temperature of the living planets in perfect balance so that life might be sustained, for life could not exist at the extremes of such polarity. Too much heat and you burned, too much cold and you froze, yet adjust the balance to the right degree and you had the comfort zone where life was most in harmony and completion.

And so she did not need to shun the Dark for fear that it would contaminate and corrupt her. All she needed to do was relax and allow her feelings to stretch outward until she could feel the source of the Dark contamination, then feel her way around and beyond it, feeling the light that surrounded the darkness, and thus discover the currents of life energy that she could tap into for long-  
distance communion.

She was only just beginning to master this technique, however, when Sludge appeared once more in their lives, full of wrath and righteous vengeance as he angrily denounced his brother and called him a traitor to their very species. He had revealed to their Elders that Mudge was aiding the outsider woman and had behaved unnaturally around her, and for that he had obtained permission to "correct" the family problem using the means that he had gained from contact with yet another outsider...a shadowy figure whom Trieste knew at once could be none other than Count Doku.

Because she lacked a Light saber she was powerless to defend herself when Sludge came after her using the laser weapon that his new mentor had provided. Clearly Sludge was a worse traitor to the edict of the Elders than his brother, yet still he had learned cunning and deception from his benefactor and fully intended to employ his new abilities to the destruction of the Jedi Knight within their midst. Mudge came to her rescue, defying both his brother and Elders to protect Trieste...and paid for it with his mortal body.

The sight of him falling-even as she felt the pain of a Light saber cutting into his sweet body-momentarily shocked and immobilized the young Jedi, yet Trieste rallied in the end and overcame Sludge with her newly gained perceptions, calling upon powers no ordinary Jedi her age should have been able to master, and with a righteous fury unlike any she had ever known she drove her enemy away after depriving him of his outsider weapons.

Then she went to the elders and confronted them with the truth, revealed to them the extent of Sludge's duplicity and openly accused them of acceding to the murder of a good and decent man, for which they had lost face and authority and could no longer legally bar her from taking her leave of their lands, and on foot made her sojourn to the nearest civilized outpost.

None dared bar her way that day for she had grown so far beyond them that they could feel her power without understanding its true nature. She took the first shuttle that landed at the trade depot (one she had, in fact, summoned from afar by using the Force to influence the pilot from a distance) and by means eventually arrived back on Coruscant for her long-delayed report to the Jedi council.

To say that much had changed during her absence would be a severe understatement, and she was dismayed to learn that over the years of her absence Chancellor Palpatine had grabbed up more power for himself than had ever been held by any man in the thousand years of the Republic. He had duped and manipulated the Senate into granting him an army to put down a rebellion that he himself had engineered, and lured many a Jedi into a fateful ambush at the battle of Geonosis, and by trickery had undermined the very mechanisms that might have otherwise been employed to rein in his authority. Worse still he now had a loyal army of manufactured Clones serving under him that had been commissioned by Count Doku for the express purpose of providing his true master with the means for universal conquest.

Palpatine had become a tyrant, yet one who cleverly disguised his ambitions behind a mask of insincere contrition, claiming to have been reluctant forced to take draconian steps to avoid the dissolution of the Republic, but in actuality he had done more to single-handedly discredit and undermine the Republic than any man before him. Worse still there was no tangible proof that she could provide to implicate the fiend for the many crimes that he had engineered by working through the shadows. More than ever she became convinced that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, the more so as her newfound perception of the Darkness made her aware that his aura was all but unreadable, hinting that it was somehow masked against even the perceptions of a Jedi.

She shared these observations with Yoda and Mace Windom in private and found her worst fears confirmed as they cautioned her against openly denouncing the Chancellor and risking a worse backlash against the Jedi than the one they already sensed was forthcoming. Against her own heart she found herself agreeing with them that caution would be needed to unmask Palpatine's true nature before the Senate, yet before they could devise a means for his impeachment the Sith Lord struck with savage suddenness, bringing down the wrath of his dark forces in an effort to crush the one impediment to his goal of total universal domination.

Before that happened Trieste had a meaningful confrontation with Yoda over what had happened to her during her time among the Slith, and as she revealed the extent to which she gone against the Code and its proscriptions she had expected the old toad to react in disgust, revulsion and denial. Much to her dismay, however, she learned that Yoda himself was coming around to question the very essence of his own beliefs on this very matter, and then the ancient Jedi Master informed her of other events taking place beyond her knowing.

He told Trieste about the young Jedi Knight that was Anakin Skywalker and what the boy had done to bring surprise and alarm among the more sensitive members of the Council. Trieste was appalled to hear about what had happened to young Anakin when he rashly visited his home world of Tattoine and learned of the terrible fate that had befallen his mother during his absence. Yoda told of how he and Mace had felt the boy's rage turn to hate and then to murderous violence, and how afterwards the boy had compounded his trespass towards the Dark side by giving into the temptation of loving a Senator named Padme Admadala, and that the two of them had secretly wed, believing that they could conceal such a thing from the awareness of the Council.

Trieste was greatly saddened for the boy's deep loss and the toll that it had taken upon this promising young Jedi, but more she was fairly outraged to the point of denouncing her superior, declaring angrily, "It was wrong to keep the boy apart from his mother for so long. It was wrong to have him deny the urgency of his own feelings or he might have acted sooner and spared her life, and thus the lives of those he was compelled to slaughter. Would you now have him deny the one spark of human contact that is left to him in order to satisfy the archaic demands of an outmoded prohibition?"

"Call you it outmoded?" Yoda bristled while seeming to manifest only a slight annoyance at her tone of accusation, "For a thousand years the code has serve us, yet you would insist that in error we have been? Blindly arrogant are you that lecture us you would?"

"Yes," she said without flinching in the face of the aged mentor to her mentor's mentor, "Your own former apprentice proves my point by his betrayal, or do you insist that Count Doku got the way he is by following the code...or by willfully going beyond it to embrace his own Dark side?"

At that she felt Yoda yield to her anger and say, "Right you are that flawed is the Code of the Jedi. Many times have I wondered at the source of our own imbalance and why the Jedi have always felt incomplete and somehow lacking an important element of our nature. Proved my point you have, and now we stand at the precipice because underestimated our enemies we have. Now prepared the Chancellor is to seize the advantage provided him we have, and little see I that we can do to stave off what is to happen."

His words proved prophetic as the days of the Jedi were surely numbered, and not long after this conversation Palpatine indeed made his move against the Jedi, and-more horrifying still-he contrived to recruit Anakin Skywalker onto his side, turning the young Jedi against his fellow Knights and employing him to ruthlessly hunt down and exterminate those whom he could find with the same merciless fury that he had used against the Sand People who had killed his beloved mother.

Trieste had been off on a mission when this happened and would have come to the aid of her people save that she had a fateful encounter of her own with a much empowered Sludge seeking her death. He had changed his identity and taken on the name of Darth Purge and was far more powerful than at their last encounter, and he clearly had the advantage this time, having gotten the drop on her during a battle near the fringes of known space. Indeed, had she not abandoned her ship for that escape pod near the end she no doubt would have joined her fellow Jedi in mass extinction. Instead she had fallen into a wormhole and wound up in an entirely different (and previously unknown) section of space, a galaxy far beyond the one that had been home to her, yet which was now as dear to her as the home that she and Mudge had once shared together.

All of this passed through her mind in an instant as she waxed nostalgic, seeing the young pair of Force Masters contending against this so-called Golden Pair on the ice arena. How young and innocent they seemed, how little they truly comprehended of the ways of the Force and the many things that she had yet to teach them. In a lot of ways she felt a bit of envy for their youth, yet she was grateful that they had not had to endure the childhood of loneliness and isolation that she had once experienced, even granted that her time with young Kasumi had been like reliving her own days as a Padawan Jedi.

A voice beside her drew her fully back into the moment, "I thought Jedi were supposed to keep their focus upon the present, my love, not indulge in wool gathering when they are supposedly studying the trials of their current students."

Trieste could not help smiling at her adopted sister-wife, "You have caught me in the act I fear, Kimiko-chan, and I plead guilty to your accusation. Forgive my wandering off like that...it is just that I had a moment of reflection, and I am thinking very much that these young people are showing far more promise than even I was prepared to accept."

"You are forgiven," Kimiko chuckled softly, "But we have to set a good example for the children if we want them to respect us, is that not right, Soun-chan?"

"Eh?" Soun responded, clearly more focused upon the fight than either of his two lady companions, "Um...yes, of course. That's why they look up to us after all, we have the experience that age and wisdom alone can bring to a warrior."

"Still," Kimiko mused, "There is something to be said for youthful exuberance, eh Trieste-chan?"

"Oh, yes indeed," Trieste readily agree, eyeing the trio of young people directly before them and smiling as her focus drifted upon the invisible ties that she could sense growing between them, especially the one who was in the centermost place of the affections of the other two young ladies.

[Yes indeed,] Trieste mused silently within herself, [There is much about this young man that reminds me of young Anakin...and he, too, is full of much fear and promise. Yet still I will not allow history to repeat itself by allowing such a one to fall prey to his own Dark side. I must somehow guide him to overcoming his fears and finding the love that can make him as great as any Jedi...and my delightful charges will be instrumental in helping him along to this destiny that awaits him...]

Unknown to her, however, there was another quite nearby who had intentions of his own for the young man and his two lady iinazuke.

[Mammals never look up,] Darth Purge thought to himself as he scaled the rafters that supported the high domed ceiling overlooking the sporting arena, [Always they will look to the side, never above or below, which is curious since they claim to have descended from a tree-dwelling species].

He was almost in position, making his way carefully to a point directly above his intended targets, moving slowly so as not to attract attention while masking his presence with the forceful concentration of his Sith abilities. Blending in with shadows and hiding in plain sight were but two of the skills that he had perfected during his stay on this miserably primitive planet, and by casting his will not to be seen on even the psychic level he assured that even Trieste's vaunted abilities would not perceive him until it was too late to escape his vengeance.

[At last I will have you in my clawed grasp, Pink-Skin] he mused to himself without daring to project the thought and give away his presence, [You will die by my hand for the disgrace you brought to my clan by seducing my fool brother. Pod-mate that he was, he had to pay the penalty for bringing dishonor to us all, and soon you will join your worthless lover in death, along with these pitiable fools whom you have taken for family. They all must die...all save the ones I choose to use for my own purposes, and then the Sith will finally triumph over the Jedi and the Dark side will grant me power unmeasured. It is only a matter of mere moments now...and then the patience of many years will at last bear fruit my dear, doomed Jedi].

He allowed himself a moment to reflect upon his former apprentice, seeing Ukyo preparing herself to renew hostilities against this fool named Senzenen. He remembered tasting the fury and the glory of the Dark side that had been swelling within her only moments before this instant, but then something had gone wrong and she had lost her concentration. The fury had inexplicably flicked and died out of her like a candle wick blown out by a careless wind, and in its place he sensed dismay and confusion at her own actions, along with a curious sense of protectiveness that she extended towards the Jedi Force Mistress who skated beside her.

[Ukyo,] Purge thought to himself with a disgust that bordered upon pity, [How did you come to such a state, you who were on the verge of something truly awe inspiring? If you had allowed the Dark to fully rise within you I would claim you once again as my pupil...instead you squander your potential over maudlin sentimentality for another female? What is she to you besides a moment's casual diversion? You surely cannot have grown so fond of her that you would throw away the benefits of my teaching?]

No matter, at the moment he could not afford such a distraction, and grateful he was that there were so many unshielded human minds in the gathering ranks of the arena since the raw emotions that they were churning out were helping to baffle and distract the perceptions of the Jedi. Amid a sea of such intensity it was doubtful that even Trieste could have perceived his looming threat to her further existence. A few moments more would prove the issue, and then Purge would know such triumph as would exceed the black ambitions of his own dread teachers.

[Soon,] he vowed to himself as he bided for patience, [Very soon...and once Taro provides the distraction that I will need it will be time to strike, and with it the end of the Jedi will be affected, and then I will rule supreme upon this world as the only true Master of the Force...and such an empire I will carve here with my chosen minions and the organization that we will build together...]

And so he continued to make his way towards the place from which he intended to strike from above, biding his energies until the crucial point to come...a moment he could taste like the savory flavor of raw meat on his tongue, a feast that had been long denied him yet soon would claim like the proverbial dish served cold on a golden platter...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Critical Force Junctures: shadowmane

The battle between the Golden Pair and the Force Masters resumes with interest as Ukyo and Senzenen butt heads, but will the real battle between Sith and Jedi eclipse even their rivalry? Find out next time in: "Winter Whirlwind," or, "Clash of the Bishonen Hentai!" Be there!

X 


	36. Chapter 36

JediKasumi36

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

Episode Thirty-Six.

Twisted

As the match resumes between Jedi/Sith and Golden Pair Ukyo and Shampoo prepare to trump Mikado Senzenen and Shiratori Azusa at the sport at which the pair excel, unaware that the true danger lays elswhere within the sporting arena...

Darth Purge has positioned himself in the rafters overlooking the audience bleachers where Trieste and the Tendo clan sit watching the match and rooting for the young Force Masters, unaware that death may soon await them...

Only the young apprenticed Force Wizard, Hikaru Gosunkuji,  
has any sense of the foreboding danger and is rushing to the aid of his new Sensei with the in the company of Ryonami, a friend of recent acquaintance...

Meanwhile Akane and her unwilling fianc e,  
Kodachi, are guiding a drugged and somewhat addled Ryoga to the floor of the skating arena in hopes of lending their support to Ukyo, and out of the very real fear that Pantyhose Taro intends black mischief for the former Sith apprentice...

"You heard me, Jackass," Ukyo declared in cold fury, "You try and lay a hand on Shampoo and I'll mess you up real bad."

Taro heard this declaration and paused in the act of positioning himself underneath the bleachers, turning his head in the general direction where he sensed his fellow Sith adept's presence and giving her the sort of askance look that as much as said that she had confirmed long-held suspicions.

"Figures," he remarked, "Always thought you bent that way, Kuonji, but...I guess if you're gonna turn Lezzie it might as well be for that hot little number you got there. Wouldn't mind a poke or two at her ass myself...right before I tear her pretty head off and mount it on my wall for a trophy."

He had long resented Ukyo's position as the senior apprentice to their mutual master, Darth Purge, the more so as Kuonji had never passed up an opportunity to rub his nose in it and make him feel small in one sense or the other. Taro had long fought to maintain an image of himself as a rather cool player, and he was confident that his manly charms could woo the ladies to his side...were it not for his embarrassing name problem. And yet Ukyo had a way of making him feel somehow less manly (for all that she was more of a man than, say, a clueless dweeb like Ryoga).

"Frail oughta know her place," he grumbled to himself, cracking his knuckles as he anticipated his long-awaited payback for the continuous insults and slights that he had recieved by that cross-dressing rug muncher. He had only to wait for Purge to relay his signal and then Taro would go into action seeing to it that Kuonji was put in her place once and forever.

Of course the thought of getting two birds for the price of one diversion was certainly exciting enough, and this Shampoo character had a lot to recommend her for the role of joint victim. A Force Adept with ties to the Jedi, she would probably make for an interesting challenge in a straight fight, but once he had her down and at his mercy...then the fun would really get started. He bared his teeth in an eager grin as he considered the things he might do with her before she was wasted, right after he got even with Kuonji...assuming there was anything left of her when this other character, Senzenen Mikado, really got going...

He listened in as Mikado said, "How absurd...you think to deny me the lips of your fair companion? I think you suffer too much from delusions of grandeur."

"Look who's talking," Ukyo made her own knuckle-cracking gesture as she refused to let herself be psyched by such a self-centered fop, "Let's do this now before you bore me to death, Creep. Sham-chan and me are ready for anything you've got up your sleeve, right Sugar?"

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo replied with her eyes fully upon Ukyo and not Senzenen, "Ah...hai...this one is prepared to do her part...Ucchan."

"Then let's start cracking heads and taking numbers," Ukyo declared while spurring herself on, using her skates to generate speed for a charge directly at the pair of golden antagonists before them, Shampoo somewhat reluctantly falling into step behind her.

"About time you took things serious," Senzenen remarked as he prepared to meet Ukyo part-way, "Azusa...time for you to play your part."

"Right, Miki-chan," the curly brown haired skater beside him grinned, then without further need for communication with her partner she leaped up onto his shoulder and positioned herself with her knees braced for leverage, even as Senzenen began to skate forward towards the wrathful Kuonji.

Ukyo thought she knew what the pair were about to try and called out, "Sham-  
honey, you're up!"

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo acknowledged, and then she sped up and caught up with Ukyo, who reached out an arm and swung the purple haired Force Mistress up to her own shoulder with one knee resting just above the Sith adept's collar bone, Ukyo bracing to launch her friend into the air so that she might counter the aerial attack that Azusa was certain to unleash.

Much to her dismay, however, the pair immediately changed tactics as Senzenen bent down and launched Azusa at a nearly horizontal angle. The brown haired kleptomaniac shot forward as though she had been propelled out of a cannon and got under Ukyo's guard, tripping her up and causing the Sith adept to tumble face-forward into the ice. This had the unfortunate effect of dumping Shampoo into a tumble, which resulted in her being snatched out of the air by an all-  
too-expectant Senzenen, who again moved to render her incapable of resisting his advances.

"I have you now, my sweet!" the handsome boy crowed in triumph.

Despite being taken off-guard for the second time in the match, Shampoo recovered enough to smile and say, "No, this one have you!" and immediately bent backward, moving with impossible flexibility to wiggle out of his grasp while freeing her arms so that she might grip him by the lapel even as she felt back towards the ice and could bring her knee up into play.

It was a fortunate thing for Mikado that he wore a cup down there or else the blow might have unmanned him, but as it was he went tumbling forward into a graceless landing that sent him skidding into the nearest wall, which momentarily took him out of commission.

"Ugh...where is that little twerp?" Ukyo growled in angry wrath as she forced herself back up off the ice and into a crouching position, "If I get my hands on her I'll...hey! Sham-chan, what happened to Mikado?"

"Him have bad fall," Shampoo replied with a slightly smug expression, "Obviously he no listen to you and think this one easy prey, but he make mistake when try to kiss me."

"He...what?" Ukyo glared at the fallen Senzenen then growled, "That's it...he's going down permanently this time, and it's no more miss Nice Girl where it comes to his lunatic partner!"

"Miki, are you all right?" Azusa was asking of her semi-comatose partner, "You want take nap before getting up again, leave all the fun to little Azusa?"

"Ah...I'm not beaten yet...just...slightly winded is all," Senzenen declared while forcing himself into an upright sitting position, "She just surprised me is all...must be an even more shy flower than I'd taken her to be."

"Either that or you make her sick," Azusa declared with a smile, then deliberately poked Senzenen in the side and said, "Does that hurt, Miki-chan?"

"Ow!" Senzenen felt as if a knife had stabbed him, "Yes, what are you-OW! Stop that, you little idiot!"

Azusa had jabbed him several more times before recoiling at his angry tone, at once falling back on her "hurt and innocent" look before asking, "Why are you being so mean to little Azusa? She only wanted to know if you were all right, Miki-chan."

"Hiyaa," Shampoo murmured as she witnessed this exchange, "You think maybe him have worst punishment if maybe he stuck with stupid ribbon girl for partner?"

"Somehow I can't feel too much pity for the rat, Sugar," Ukyo scowled, "But let's be careful, these two are treacherous and tricky, and they obviously care nothing about playing fair either."

"And is different for you?" Shampoo asked coyly, "No too long ago you might also think nothing about taking advantage of opponent's trusting nature."

"Yeah, but I was never that much of a heel, Sugar," Ukyo insisted, "And if it's a dirty fight he wants, well...he's about to learn that Sith can play dirtier than any stupid fop and his packrat partner."

"We see on that," Shampoo observed while turning to regard their prospective opponents.

"Oh my," Nodoka Saotome observed as she and her husband eased their way along the benches to link up with the Tendos, "Are we late for the actual march? I'm terribly sorry, but my husband and I had some important business to discuss...and hello, Ranma, my son...are you and your fianc es enjoying the battle?"

"Ah...Mom?" Ranma tore his eyes away from said match to see the beaming expression of his mother as she took in his close proximity between Kasumi and Nabiki.

"Hello, Auntie Nodoka," Nabiki replied with a cool and sardonic expression, adding slyly, "Or should I be calling you mother?"

"Oh my," Kasumi blinked, having to mentally rethink her pending relationship to the Saotome matriarch, and wondering what effect that would have upon her relationship with her real mother, though what she sensed from Kimiko was more amusement than resentment at the notion.

"Are you thinking of adopting my girls for yourself, Nodoka-chan?" Kimiko asked in a light and casual tone as she regarded the other woman.

"Well, I must admit that the prospect is very tempting for me," Nodoka admitted as she and Genma took their place in the seats that had been reserved for them by Soun and the others, "After all, I always wanted a daughter who could share so many interests with me, not that I have any complaint about having such a manly son that your eldest daughters want to marry him together. Oh, and look...aren't those two his other fianc es? What are they doing going up against that nice couple as a skate team?"

"It's a rather...complicated affair," Trieste replied as she gave Genma a sage look that only he could interpret as accusatory, "We would have told you all about it but...there were so many other things that were happening of late it quite escaped our minds, which is why we left it to your husband to make his own explanations."

Genma fairly wilted under the scrutiny of the Jedi Knight Matron, recalling vividly her instructions to run interference and keep Nodoka busy until the match was long concluded. But though he was acknowledged by many as a practiced and accomplished liar, the truth was that he was too much afraid-uh-in awe of Nodoka to dissemble, especially when she was looking him directly in the eye and had her trademark katana within easy reach. Even now she carried it close to hand as a reminder of his many promises towards her, especially the ones he felt compelled to obey for fear of the consequences.

For his part Ranma was the one who was visibly sweating, especially in light of his mother's casual remark about wanting a daughter. As yet he had not come fully clean with her on the subject of Jusenkyo, and the fact that a casual jostle against anyone with a cup full of ice water would be all that it would take to expose his little secret before a woman who still regarded him as "Manly."

Nabiki and Kasumi were far too sensitive to his moods to miss this concern in their mutual boyfriend, and with only a slight glance in which they made brief eye contact they managed to convey a mutual assent that they would work to protect the integrity (not to mention the life) of their intended future husband.

Meanwhile Darth Purge had finally worked himself into the position he was after, poised directly above the heads of the Tendo and Saotome party, and smiling with an open display of teeth as he maintained his "stealth" aura and waited for the right moment in which to strike, which his senses assured him was shortly forthcoming.

Being a patient sort of lizard by nature, he continued to take stock of the match between his former ward and her comely paramour against the upstart Golden Pair, hoping to see a recurrence where Ukyo would again revert to her Dark side training. So far it was looking to be a quite interesting display, and he had high hopes that the impending mayhem would be more than worthy of his expectations.

Also unseen by others an unlikely trio had at last made it to the arena and were now looking on at the match with no little concern, Akane in the lead saying aloud, "Oboy...looks like things started and Ucchan is taking a real beating."

"It's amazing that she is still standing at all," Kodachi remarked, "By reputation I have heard that Senzenen is a quite formidable opponent."

"He'd better not hurt Ucchan...or...or..." Ryoga balled his fists and started to glow with anger.

"Hey, knock it off!" Akane hastily warned, sensing the flaring of the Force within the former Sith adept, "You cut loose like that in this place and somebody could get hurt, meaning us and Ucchan."

"Oh..." Ryoga deliberately made the effort at releasing his grip over his anger, "I...I didn't think of that...I..."

"Why not wait and see where matters progress before we jump to any conclusions?" Kodachi advised, then the three of them looked on in anxious silence as the match renewed and the opponents began taking their measure in genuine earnest.

"It was a mistake for you to wait for me to regain from my inconvenience," Senzenen haughtily declared as he and Azusa prepared to renew their intended onslaught, "Now you will taste the fully fury of the Golden Pair..."

"Don't you ever get tired of talking about yourself, Creep?" Ukyo snarled as she built up momentum and prepared to renew her attack, "I just wanted you in condition when I beat the crap out of you, and unlike you I don't need to take advantage of a weaker opponent."

"That mistake will cost you dearly," Senzenen assured her, then at once Azusa shot past him and moved around behind Ukyo before the Sith apprentice knew it, and like that attacked from the rear, going under and between her legs before Kuonji even knew what she was up to.

All at once Ukyo felt her legs being grabbed and she started to topple forward, prompting Shampoo to rush forward in order to catch her partner, yet once this contact had been established then Senzenen moved in for the kill and grasped Azusa by her own legs, whipping them all off of the ground with a tremendous display of physical prowess.

"HEY!" Ukyo cried without releasing her clasp of Shampoo's arms, which she needed to keep from landing on her face once again, "Leggo of me down there!"

"And now...the Goodbye Whirl!" Senzenen cried before he started to spin around where he stood while whipping the girl-to-girl chain around and around in an increasingly rapid circle.

"Oh my," Kasumi said.

"What the heck...how can he be doing that?" Ranma asked, totally baffled.

"He must know something about the Force himself if he can muster that much energy," Nabiki reasoned.

"Not necessarily," Trieste cautioned, "I sense that he is strong with the Force, but I do not perceive that he has formal training in its proper usage."

"Just the same, I'd say good-bye to your poor buddies," Ursula cautioned, "The Couple Cleaver move is a patented Golden Pair trademark, guaranteed to separate even the most loyal of partnerings since the idea is to make you let go and betray the trust of a commitment."

"How horrible," Kimiko surmised, "It's almost as if that boy delights in breaking up couples."

"Incredible," Soun exclaimed, "They're going even faster...how much longer can Kuonji and Shampoo last under that pressure?"

"I don't know, Tendo-kun," Genma freely admitted, "The centrifugal force alone must be something awful..."

Indeed Ukyo was hard pressed to maintain her hold on Shampoo, and she could even feel the pressure of their grip gradually slipping, but rather than give into the pain and the pressure she grit her teeth hard and held on as tightly as she could manage.

"What you doing?" Shampoo gasped, the rush of wind making speech difficult and breathing a real effort, "Let this one go before you hurt you self, Ucchan!"

"NO!" Ukyo snarled as she summoned up the will to prevail, "I ain't gonna let go...you'd be hurt if I let it happen!"

"This one can manage," Shampoo tried to reassure the former Sith, "She can use the Force to cushion landing..."

"Ain't gonna happen," Ukyo declared, showing off more of her feral nature, "This creep ain't got me licked yet..." and then she summoned up her power from within and began to channel the Force, willing it to flow through her and into Shampoo, thus canceling out the immanent danger of further slippage.

"You try valiantly to resist," Senzenen remarked, "Yet the longer you delay the inevitable the worse will be the sense of betrayal when you release her."

Ukyo knew that she could not hold up to the pressure indefinitely, but a plan began to hatch in her mind and she started to draw more upon the force not to slow down their speed but rather to further increase it.

As expected this caused Azusa no end of alarm and frustration, for her own slender form was far less up to the strain than either the Chef or their respective partners. With a queasy gulp of, "Azusa...does not...feel so...good..." she all at once let go of Ukyo's legs and sent the chef flying with her Amazon partner.

So far her plan had worked as intended, but Ukyo instantly detected the flaw in the ointment, sensing that the momentum at which she and Shampoo had been released was such that they were flying at the distant wall with greater force than previously expected. With no time left to plan another tactic, she at once drew the purple haired Amazon into her arms and then flipped herself around even as she summoned up the Force and projected a Force-bubble. She barely got this erected in time when she and Shampoo slammed into the wall with the same force that a hurricane might apply to leaf, and so great was the kinetic impact that even her protective forcefield could do little more than diminish the bone-  
jarring effect that this created.

"Ucchan!" Ranma was on his feet and ready to leap into the arena when Nabiki and Kasumi simultaneously acted to restrain him.

"Hold your horses, Wild Horse!" Nabiki cried, making a play upon his name in order to reach him through the focus of his concern for his wounded childhood companion.

"You're not equipped to go out there, Ranma-kun," Kasumi reassured him, "You wouldn't be able to stand upright without skates..."

"I don't care, I've gotta go help Ucchan!" Ranma insisted, even though he knew perfectly well that his iinazuke were only speaking reason.

"Calm yourself and do not be ensnared by your own emotions," Trieste's voice reached his mind even as he felt something like a "stroking" of his nerves put a damper on his fear and anger, "I sense that Kuonji was hurt badly by the crash, yet she still lives, and so does Shampoo. They are not yet completely out of the fight as Senzenen has badly underestimated his rival."

Despite himself Taro looked on with surprising concern at where Kuonji had landed (which-ironically enough-was very close to the point beneath the bleachers where he was in concealment. It was not-however-the sort of feeling that one might have at the fall of a former teammate, rather he whispered the true source of his dismay, "Don't die yet, Kuonji-san...I wanted to be the one who offed you."

"Ucchan!" Akane cried from where she and Kodachi were positioned near the entry gate to the arena.

"Ukyo...no..." Ryoga murmured in horror, falling to his knees while gripping the edge of the door archway.

"She took that blow to protect the other one from injury," Kodachi softly marveled, "Truly there must be more to Kuonji-san than I have previously expected...such a noble deed is worthy of a samurai. I think we should all respect her better for her sacrifice..."

"She's not dead yet," Akane insisted, hoping that those feeble life readings she made out were valid, "She and Sham-chan have to be all right...if not, then I'm gonna make that Senzenen guy hurt where it really matters."

Kodachi hesitated a moment then said, "You mean that...truly?"

"Huh?" Akane looked at her in confusion.

"About wishing to avenge the injury your friends have just suffered," Kodachi mused as she considered the point carefully, glancing at Senzenen, then at Ryoga, and slowly smiling in a way that was calculated and crafty, "Perhaps...yes, there might be a way at that. After all, if the technique could work for Kuonji-san, then surely another might put it to just as good a usage."

"What are you talking about, Kodachi?" Akane asked, then blinked as her senses perceived the image that was in her iinazuke's mind and she responded, "You've gotta be kidding!"

"I am quite serious," Kodachi assured the other girl, "And three years of drama class should prove sufficient for me to effect the role quite handsomely...or didn't you know that at an all girl schools we had to improvise, and I happen to have won the role of an excellent Hamlet. Come, let us make haste, there is little time for us to get ourselves ready..."

Heedless of the fact that his two lady companions were heading back in the direction of the school lockers, Ryoga remained where he was kneeling while balling his fists in growing rage, snarling to himself, "Senzenen...you are a dead man!"

Unaware of these threats posed towards his future health and safety, Senzenen was only just then recovering from the dizziness that he had unaccountably suffered when his famous technique had gone awry and nearly caused him to screw himself into the ice, his blades having gouged out a bowl-sized crater. With one hand to his head to keep it from wobbling upon his neck he turned and found the his foes still sprawled out flat upon the ice. It took a moment for him to put it all together, but then he spoke in a slightly stunned voice, "He never let go? The fool actually clung to her all of the way?"

"Ooohhh...little Azusa feels funny," his partner stammered, looking quite unsteady herself upon her skates, "Why you spin little Azusa so fast, Miki? Were you trying to hurt both of them while making little Azusa feel sick?"

"Believe me, I never intended to use quite that much force in my spin," Senzenen replied as he righted himself and gazed at their fallen opponents, "It was my intention to force Kuonji to release his companion, after which I would dispose of him in the usual way while rushing immediately to her rescue. This is the first time anyone has actually held on without letting go, and I fear it may have cost them both quite dearly, for if he had not proven to be so stubborn he would not have dragged his fair companion with him when he crashed into the wall. As it is I fear they both are now badly injured..."

A faint groan escaped from Shampoo's lips and she lifted a hand to feel her own head, which was pounding like a gong from shock and reverberation. Being from a rather hard-headed clan, however, she was used to taking a pounding, and by steadying her breathing and taking in deep lungfulls of icy air she was able to calm the rhythms of her pulse while marshaling her resources to speed her recovery as the Force flowed to her rescue.

"Aiyaa..." she softly murmured, "Never again will this one complain of great-  
grandmother teaching her Exploding Point technique..."

"Is that a fact?" came the barest whisper at her side, "Think you might...share it with me...sometime...Sugar?"

"Ucchan?" Shampoo suddenly recalled herself and remembered where they were and what had happened. Ignoring the way it caused her temples to renew their throbbing she forced herself to sit up and kneel over her companion, feeling the force of Ukyo's spirit with the lines flowing through her at somewhat diminished levels.

"Ucchan...you is okay?" she gasped, then drew her hand back as she could feel the pain that was wracking the length of the other girl's body, "Aiyaa..."

"Just barely," Ukyo whispered, "Don't know if anything's broken yet...it hurts too much...to check..."

"You...you take blow for this one?" Shampoo looked up and had her worst fears confirmed as she saw the definite imprint created in the wall by the impact of not one but two human bodies, and all at once she said, "Aiyaa...you fool! You no have to do this for Shampoo..."

"Now she tells me," Ukyo breathed, "Sorry...forgot for a moment there...that you have better padding..."

The jest hardly lightened the Amazon's mood, and with a heavy heart Shampoo bent her head and suppressed a sob that threatened to escape her. She had to remain calm, to control the rush of emotions that were flooding through her, but still she could not prevent herself from saying, "You is great idiot...know you not what it means to save life of warrior...and be injured in her place?"

"What?" Ukyo asked, "Don't tell me you've got to marry me or something like that?"

"This is serious, Ucchan," Shampoo insisted, then sighed, "Sometimes this one forgets you outsider girl, know nothing of our customs. Now Shampoo must do what is right...make better what has been broken."

"Huh?" Ukyo murmured, "You're not making sense here...and anyway I need to get some rest...so I can get my strength back..."

"I grieve for your loss."

"Hiyaa?" Shampoo turned in surprise, finding Senzenen standing a short distance from her.

"Kuonji had more spirit than I took him for," the handsome boy replied, "Although it was my intent to deal with him harshly, I never intended for it to go this far. Truly I am sorry and offer what condolences I am able..."

"You stop stupid talk right now," Shampoo scowled, "Is too soon to dance on grave of Ukyo, and Shampoo need to concentrate if she is to do what is needed."

"Eh?" Senzenen clearly was confused at the girl's reaction. Though he had been prepared to hear her rage or react in denial of the obvious, it was quite another thing to see the fierce look of cool determination within the crimson eyes of the purple haired beauty, so rather than press his luck he held his ground and watched as Shampoo proceeded to ignore him altogether.

Instead she spread her hands and held them over Ukyo's body, then closed her eyes and raised her head up towards the heavens, summoning her power as she grew calm and tranquil inside of her innermost being, lowering the resistance of both the mind and ego while allowing her emotions to tap into deep wells of infinite compassion. As her breath became deep and steady she seemed to go into a trance while remaining perfectly motionless, but then her body began to radiate a warmth that caused her aura to glow slightly, and her hands became focal points through which she could channel her energies, reaching out and merging with Ukyo's spirit while allowing the Force to flow easily between them.

"What she doing, Miki?" Azusa asked as she and her partner looked on in speechless wonder.

"I don't really know," Senzenen replied, "Perhaps she is praying to her gods to conduct Kuonji's spirit into the next world..."

Back in the bleacher stands, however, Trieste looked on in amazement, murmuring softly, "Incredible...I had no idea that she was this advanced in her training."

"What's going on?" Soun asked in wonder, "Why is she glowing like that?"

"It feels so warm and comforting," Kimiko observed, "Like it's reflecting her inner beauty..."

"Shampoo," Kasumi said with a gentle smile, "You are worthy of your mother's teaching...she would be proud to see you so, just as I am, my dearest sister."

"You know what she's up to?" Ranma asked.

"I think I know too, Ranma-kun," Nabiki replied, "And unless I miss my mark I'd say our Amazon friend is sharing her own life energies with Kuonji."

"What, you mean like Psychic healing?" Ursula asked, "I've seen it done before, but mostly by fakirs who palm wet cotton balls and pretend they're removing cancer..."

"This is not the same thing...not by any measure," Trieste replied, "What Shampoo is attempting would be difficult for someone well versed in Jedi healing techniques, but I've rarely heard of anyone that young practicing it this boldly."

"How bad is it with Kuonji?" Kimiko inquired.

"Bad enough that without Shampoo's intervention she might well never walk again," Trieste replied, "I only hope her sacrifice is ultimately worth the effort..."

"Sacrifice?" Ranma turned his head so fast that he nearly gave himself a case of whiplash.

"Healing methods of this sort are often double-edged scalpels, Ranma-kun," Kasumi explained, "To heal Ukyo's injuries, Shampoo must first open herself psychically to sharing her pain in order to establish an empathic rapport...and from there the pain will only intensify until they reach a parity between them."

"Yeesh!" Nabiki recoiled, "You aren't kidding about that, Oniichan...I can feel their agony from here, and whatever Kuonji's suffering from is being conveyed directly into Shampoo, whose taking it in like a sponge, including a sympathetic reaction."

Overhead Darth Purge narrowed his eyes into mere slits and studied the activities of the young Force Mistress, sensing the energy flow that connected her with his fallen former pupil. It was much to his own silent amazement that he felt their pain levels climax to a plateau of unimaginable turmoil, only to level off and diminish once again until the two achieved a gestalt, at which point their agony began to diminish altogether.

"Fascinating," he softly hissed, "I had no idea the sow was this talented...I wonder what other surprises she keeps in store for emergencies such as this..."

Taro was even more confused, as puzzled at the notion that Ukyo had deliberately taken the hit for another as he was at the notion that the purple haired "frail" could actually be sucking in the pain of the fallen Kuonji and discharging it within her own already bruised body.

"Man, are those two nuts or something?" he murmured to himself, finding it difficult to grasp the concept of mutual altruism, especially involving someone as moody and obsessive as Kuonji. Try as he might he could not conceive of undergoing such an ordeal to spare the life of someone else, especially one who had been an enemy until very recent.

One minute stretched on into two, and then three, and still the crowd in the arena held their collective breath and waited for something to happen. Then at last Shampoo allowed her shoulders to slump and she started to sag forward, only catching herself before she could sprawl on top of Kuonji, using what was left of her strength of maintain an upright posture as he sighed and said, "This one has done all that she can...now...can you move, Ucchan?"

"Uh...huh?" Ukyo opened her eyes, then-much to her surprise-she pushed up off of the ice and found it much easier to move into an upright sitting posture. She turned to stare at Shampoo with open amazement, then hesitantly asked, "You...did you...?"

Despite the overwhelming fatigue that she was feeling the purple haired Force Mistress still managed a weak smile and replied, "You think someone else heal you? Is special technique learn from mother, much enhanced by Jedi training..."

All at once the Amazon found her strength deserting her, and her eyes refused to remain open, so she began to pitch forward, landing face-down on the partially melted ice before a stunned Ukyo could think to catch her.

"Sugar?" Ukyo gasped, then with greater urgency, "Shampoo! Hey, don't pass out on me now, Sugar..."

"Incredible," Senzenen remarked, "If I had not witnessed it with my own eyes..."

"Azusa is confused, Miki," his partner remarked beside him, "What just happened?"

"Unless I am gravely mistaken," the handsome body remarked, "The fair Shampoo has somehow brought Kuonji-san back from the brink of death by her prayers and the sharing of her own spirit. There must be more to him than I had first surmised or else such a beauteous maiden would never have made such a noble and compassionate effort."

"Sugar...don't go to sleep on me," Ukyo all but pleaded of her partner, lifting Shampoo into her lap and saying, "This is no time to be all noble and heroic...damn you! Don't do this to me! I...I can't...I don't want to..."

All at once a massive roar was heard and all at once Ryoga appeared, bearing down on a surprised Senzenen like a charging Rhino, crying out, "SENZENEN!"

Of course his ill-coordinated attack-greatly enabled by a pair of extra skates that the lost boy had acquired in a hurry-was easily avoided since the only thing keeping Ryoga upright on the ice was his own grim determination to avenge himself upon the object of a perceived injustice. Said object had little difficulty moving to the side as Ryoga blithely sailed on right past Senzenen and went crashing into the nearby wall, ricocheting like a pinball with arms windmilling as the Sith adept fought against the pull of gravity in an effort to remain upright.

"Ouch," Ranma winced from where he was sitting, "That stupid baka..."

"Guess maybe that Ryoga guy doesn't like the idea of Senzenen making a play for his girl," Nabiki fathomed.

"Indeed," Kasumi agreed, "But it was a poorly thought out attack and he now has no back up plan to fall upon, which means that he has little hope of achieving his objectives."

"Shows how much you guys know about love," Ursula grinned in anticipation, "Give a guy enough cause and he'll even ignore the laws of physics to win the girl to his side, so don't count him out just yet...that boy's genes are itching to procreate, even if his girl has her own girlfriend."

The ice was cold under Ryoga's hands as he tried to push himself back to his feet in order to renew his intended onslaught. It was fortunate for him indeed that Senzenen was just then regarding him more with pity than serious interest, but it was Azusa who seemed the more curious of the two of them, and she bent down to carefully study Ryoga's features as if trying to place his somewhat familiar visage.

"That odd...Azusa think she know boy from somewhere..."

"Get out of my face!" Ryoga snarled, memories flooding back of how he had captured by the diminutive skater.

"There's no reason to be mean to little Azusa-hey!" the curly haired girl remarked with open surprise, pointing at Ryoga and saying, "Azusa knows you! You are Jean Paul, Azusa's friend! But what are you doing outside of the home Azusa gave you?"

Despite himself Ryoga reacted with dismay at the revelation, but still he heatedly denied the charge, saying, "Wh-what do you mean? My name isn't Jean Paul, it's Hibiki Ryoga!"

"Jean Paul, Jean Paul!" Azusa did a little dance upon the ice and whooped it up in celebration, "Azusa knows you, you're still wearing her collar!"

Ryoga's hand reflexively went up to feel along the edge of his neckline, discovering that there was indeed a collar around his neck, complete with silver engravings and a name tag. He was only just starting to come to grips with this revelation when yet another pair of players chose that moment to announce themselves, appearing upon the ice as suddenly as if by magic.

"Never mind about Ryoga-san...you have something else to concern both you and your arrogant partner," said the somewhat taller of two dark haired figures wearing fancy skating outfits, "Namely myself and my comely partner, who have come to challenge you to avenge the wrong that you have wrought upon our friend, Kuonji."

"Say what?" Ukyo blinked, then saw who one of the new arrivals ways and said, "Sugar?"

"Uh...hey, Ucchan," Akane smiled back a bit nervously, "Glad to see you're all right...and is Shampoo feeling okay? She seems a little...drained from what I can tell from here..."

Ukyo could only blink at this, seeing Akane in a short-skirted mini-dress that was laced with sequins while the figure at her side could be none other than the aristocratic Kuno Kodachi, also garbed in fancy attire, yet in an outfit that squashed her breasts tightly to her chest and padded out her waist to give the illusion of a masculine profile. Kodachi wore dark pants that were similarly adorned with embroidered silver roses and was wearing a patently false mustache that looked as though a manga artist had hastily penciled it in. Her pony tail was swept backwards to add to the illusion of a Bishonen skater, and her smile was as cocky as it was daring as she held Akane by the hand and effected an air of superior condescension.

"Who are you?" Senzenen demanded, only mildly ruffled at yet another interruption.

"Who am I?" Kodachi asked in a deliberately roughened and deeper-than-usual voice, "Why, I am none other than the suave and debonair Kuno Akuma, rising star of the Martial Arts figure skating world, at your humble service. And this is my charming and beautiful partner of the evening, Tendo Akane, a close friend and personal trainer to the pair whom you have been dealing with so rudely."

"Omigawd..." Nabiki murmured from where she was sitting.

"Hey...ain't that Kuno's sister, the one Akane's been hanging around with?" Ranma asked.

"Oh my," Kasumi softly averred, "Who could have imagined that Akane was seeing yet another crossdresser..."

"That has to be the worst masculine disguise that I have ever beheld," Kimiko murmured softly.

"Indeed," Trieste agreed, "And yet one must admire Akane's new fianc e for the boldness of her imagination."

"Why, what a handsome boyfriend Akane seems to have acquired," Nodoka marveled, not having yet caught on to the gender deception.

"Oh, my sweet ancestors," Soun felt tears form in his eyes, "Would that she were truly a man whom my little girl was engaged to..."

"How is that again?" both Kimiko and Trieste turned questioning looks in his direction.

"Er...I mean...if Godai's little girl were a man I should hope that she would be so manly," Soun said quickly, "But as they are both obviously women...um...well..."

"Tendo-kun," Genma stage-whispered towards him, "Perhaps you'd better leave it to the professionals. You never were all that good at lying."

"Oh brother," Ukyo shook her head as she regarded the semi-disguised Kodachi, "Sugar, that is the worst disguise I've ever seen, and only a complete idiot would mistake you for a..."

"You had best leave here while you are able, my dear fellow," Senzenen said as he regarded Kodachi the way a lion might regard a male rival, (ignoring Ukyo's facefault in passing) "My dispute is with Kuonji, not you."

"I beg to differ, kind sir," Kodachi informed him, "Your fight is with me if you insist on pressing the matter any further. Rather it is I who offer you the chance of backing down and saving face 'lest I be forced to avenge my fianc e's honor since she is clearly quite offended by your actions, and I know that I speak for Akane-chan when I say that you stand to risk our wrath, which will be most righteous and quite certain."

"What the hell are you trying to...?" Ukyo started to say, only to find her sentence interrupted before it could be completed.

"Fear not, Kuonji-san," Kodachi replied in her patently fake male voice, "Though you fought valiantly and hard it is clear that you are taxed well past your limits and cannot be expected to fight at your best, nor can your lovely companion. Please forgive our presumption but honor compels us to step forward and offer our own substitution so that you may rest and regain the full measure of your prowess. Be assured that Akane and I are more than equal to the task of putting down this conceited upstart and will take great pleasure in doing so unless he acts sensibly and withdraws now from this contest."

"You must be delusional," Senzenen dismissed, "But it matters little to me whom my opponent is, and one of you is as good as the other."

"But what about Jean Paul?" Azusa asked of the still struggling Ryoga, who had yet to achieve his goal of regaining his footing.

"One matter at a time, Azusa," Senzenen assured her, "First we put these new fools in their place, then you can indulge your freakish whims with your pet, though for what it's worth I think you're tastes could stand some improvement."

"I'll get you for that," Ryoga growled with impotent fury, his feet steadfastly refusing to stay steady on his borrowed ice skates.

"Now this is getting good," Taro murmured from where he was positioned beneath the bleachers, "Don't know what you're up to, Doll-face, but it looks to me like you're biting off more than you can swallow. Of course that just means I get to play the hero when you get your pretty ass in a sling, which is just one of the fringe benefits of the boss's plan that I hadn't seen coming..."

"Are you two nuts?" Ukyo asked, directing her question towards Akane.

"Hey, like Kodachi said," Akane sheepishly replied, "Let us take it from here. Besides, I already know how to fight on skates, remember? And Koda-uh-Akuma here assures me he's a champion skater."

"As I will happily demonstrate in another minute," Kodachi assured them with a confident bluster that sounded almost convincing.

"Very well," Senzenen said with implacable confidence, as though he considered the match over before it had even begun, "But know in advance that if you lose the fight that I will steal a kiss from your fair companion."

"Say what?" Akane blinked, marveling at the one-track mind of the pervert since in her mind the only ones whom she wanted to kiss were Ukyo and Shampoo...and maybe even Kodachi.

Purge sighed to himself as he witnessed these affairs then murmured softly, "Even after all these years...I am never going to understand the thinking of these mammals..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Courtly Skating Tips: shadowmane

Akane and Kodachi step into the ring and take up the challenge of the Golden Pair, but is this a sound decision on their part, or will they shortly know, "The Kiss of the Spider-Girl," or, "To Have, Hold and Dismember!" Be there!

X 


	37. Chapter 37

JediKasumi37

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

(Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

Episode Thirty-Seven:

Doing The Time Warp!

The Match between the Golden Pair and the Jedi/Sith team of Ukyo and Shampoo has reached a new level of intensity with our intrepid heroines falling prey to the dreaded "Couple Cleaver, which nearly crippled Ukyo and left Shampoo badly bruised, spent and exhausted, having expended vital energies to heal back her skating partner...

Into the fray comes Ryoga Hibiki,  
fellow Sith adept who is nursing a crush upon Ukyo, (much though the cross-dressing chef remains ignorant to the true extent of his feelings)  
and the unlikely pairing of Akane and Kodachi,  
the latter having adopted the disguise of a man in order to assist her reluctant iinazuke in seeking to defend their friends against Azusa and Mikado (the former having attempted to enslave the cursed form of Ryoga, and the latter threatening to kiss both Shampoo and Akane) to usher in a challenge of their own in order to buy time for Ukyo and Shampoo to recover from the wounds they have both taken during their battle...

And as yet still unknown to these others, the remaining Sith intend to launch a brutal assault against the Jedi, using the skating match as a cover during which Darth Purge and Pantsaru Taro intend to strike with surprise from concealment while the Jedi are thus distracted...

Unknown to Purge and his minion, however,  
another player has entered the arena, one who will play a critical role in the outcome of the rivalry between Sith and Jedi, much though to casual eyes he might seem a very unlikely prospect...

"There they are, Gosunkuji-kun," Ryonami pointed at a section of the bleachers, "That's where Sempai and the others are sitting, but if you want to see them we're going to have to wade a bit through the crowds, and it sounds like the match is getting really exciting."

"Exciting," Gosunkuji numbly replied, his mind unable to escape the clash of images that were filling his thoughts with impressions of impending death and carnage. He barely even took notice of the match upon the ice rink itself as his senses drew him towards the nexus of the true disaster that he knew was in the making. Compared to the certainty he felt of impending tragedy a little thing like a rivalry in a skating match paled to insignificance, but he was at a loss to convey his urgency to his comely escort, by whose charms he was far from unaffected.

Ryonami favored the slighter boy with an amused look that was half-mocking and half-intrigued. Despite his generally unhealthy looking demeanor, there was something about him that seemed quaintly innocent, perhaps even a bit charming in a dorky kind of way, which was giving her the strong impression that there was much more to this Hikaru Gosunkuji than most people imagined. Certainly the details about his background of which she already knew implied that he had some kind of hidden potential that was of interest to Sensei, and that alone made him worth a closer study. Besides which he seemed like a perfectly harmless and rather nice guy, and Ryonami had always found herself gravitating to social outcasts, being considered a bit nerdy herself on the school pecking order, and when you are low on the food chain of life...well, you just happen to feel a certain kinship for others who might be judged unfairly based on nothing other than mere appearance.

For his part Gosunkuji wondered why the girl was looking at him in a way that implied that he was an actual person, not a non-entity, which was how he was usually regarded by kids his own age (when they bothered to notice him at all), especially girls (who could be cruel in ways that even the rudest bully would not imagine). Was she really as nice as she seemed...or did she have some ulterior motive for wanting to escort him? Was there a reason why Nabiki Tendo had sent her out to find him, and if so, what value could he be to her...other than to possibly predict the outcome of the match, which hardly seemed to warrant any such precognitive gifts as he happened to possess.

But no...there seemed to be something else that was at work here, causing her to smile at him in a way that was almost teasing. He had seen that look on the faces of girls who were generally playful by nature and wanted to convey their interest in someone by indirect means, such as feigning indifference. Gosunkuji knew what real indifference felt like, however, and this definitely did not feel the same...almost as if she were studying him or trying to rate his potential market value, or...

All at once he felt his eyes being compelled to drift upward, and like a magnet they went to a certain area of the domed arena ceiling as if they had a will of their own, and though Gosunkuji had not wished it so, he found his eyes focusing upon a dark area that seemed strangely...foreboding. He did not actually try to see the thing that his senses perceived existed there within the shadows so much as allow his vision to take notice, but once he was convinced that there was something there he perceived a particularly dark area, and before his startled mind made out a form that was very big and had a humanoid outline...but most definitely was not human!

"Look, up there!" he pointed, grabbing Ryonami by the wrist in order to get her attention.

"Look up where?" the brown haired girl inquired as she shielded her eyes in order to see better, yet clearly did not make out the shape that was now plain to Gosunkuji's vision.

"Can't you see?" he persisted, "There's a guy...I'm not even sure if he's a man, but he's clinging to the scaffolding that's supporting the roof, and...is that a tail he's got between his legs?"

"A tail?" Ryonami blinked, trying very hard to see what the boy seemed so certain was there, "I don't see anything...are you sure you're not imagining things? A trick of the light or...?"

"No!" Gosunkuji said with desperate firmness, "He's definitely there, and he's so big and...he's all dressed up in black robes, and I think he's got clawed hands and feet, but..."

"That sounds like you're describing Darth Purge," Ryonami said with sudden alarm, no longer feeling the least bit amused at the boy's disturbing insistence.

"Darth who?" Gosunkuji asked.

"A mortal enemy of Sempai and the Tendos," Ryonami explained, "Look, this is really important...are you sure that you're seeing a big lizard guy clinging to the rafters?"

"I'd bet my life on it," Gosunkuji assured her, only to stare in puzzlement as he added, "Are you telling me you can't see him? He's like a spider on a wall, and even as dark as it is he ought to stand out against that grey steel background."

All of a sudden Ryonami felt quite frightened, and she hastily said, "I'm not as sensitive to the ways of the Force as Sensei and the others, but...I've got a very bad feeling about this. Sempai has to be warned, and Sensei will know what to do, so come on! We've got to hurry!"

She grabbed Gosunkuji by the arm once again and started dragging him along, letting her usual courtesy fall by the wayside as she forced her way past people, hastily apologizing in passing yet making twice the time that they had before his rather dramatic revelation...

As this was going on, however, the match currently taking place on the ice was already in full swing, only with Akane and Kodachi in the thick of the matter, the latter garbed in the appearance of a man to convince their opponents that they were a rival ice skating couple.

"Have at you, varlet!" Kodachi cried, hamming it up as she skated around and tried to catch Senzenen with a slashing ribbon attack, distracting him as he had been prepared to meet her physically and was less than thrilled to discover that she was using secret weapons.

"What kind of skater are you?" he declared while nimbly avoiding the whip-like attacks of her ribbon, "Attacks such as this are...unmanly!"

"Oh, and like you are any sort of expert on that subject," Kodachi sneered while doing a neat figure eight to get around his defenses, "I saw the way you conducted yourself with our friends, Xian-Pu and Kodachi, and I am not about to let you attempt anything like that upon me and my fianc e."

Senzenen bristled as her ribbon came close to his face, and the shock of nearly being cut there caused him to growl out in anger, "Fianc e? Don't make me laugh! Relationships are so bourgeoisie. Nothing lasts within this world, nothing is permanent, all is transient and in flux. Only the pursuit of true beauty is eternal, and that cause alone is what makes this fight worthy of the challenge."

"I begin to see why Kuonji-san finds you so annoying," Kodachi remarked while dodging Senzenen's attempted counter-attack with the nimbleness of a true gymnast, "You ramble on and make speeches instead of confronting your enemies like an honorable opponent, but in the end all you have are tricks and deceptions that you use to confuse and baffle much stronger fighters."

"Sheesh," Akane murmured to herself in ironic speculation, "Now she figures that out?"

"Why you after little Azusa?" the brown haired skater bewailed, "What has she ever done to you?"

"Nothing much," Akane replied as she sped up on her skates and did a flying leap to close the gap between herself and her quarry, "You just hurt my two best friends, and for that I'm gonna cream you!"

Azusa narrowly avoided collision with the youngest of the Tendo sisters, but she was sufficiently chastened by the near miss to take shelter with Senzenen, whom she was close enough to dart behind as Akane recovered and spun about in an arc to renew her attack on the kleptomaniac skater.

"Miki!" Azusa wailed, "Help little Azusa, don't let her get me!"

"Calm yourself, you little fool," Mikado snapped, "Can't you see I'm having troubles of my own dealing with this upstart?"

"Upstart am I?" Kodachi scoffed, taking careful aim for her next shot with her ribbon, "We'll see how cocky you are when I wind you up and spin you like a top, Senzenen-san!"

"What is silly girl in drag talking about-OOOH! Pretty!" Azusa mentally changed gears in mid- question, and with that she forgot all about the threat posed to her by Akane and headed straight towards Kodachi, who was a bit too late to react to this sudden tactic, intent as she was upon ensnaring Senzenen.

"Look out, 'Dachi!" Akane cried in warning, only to find her way blocked by an arm that was thrust into her path, and all at once she was snatched up by an eager Mikado, who saw opportunity at hand and was not about to let it slip away before she was "sampled."

"HEY!" the young Force Mistress protested, only to find herself bent backward as Mikado used leverage to bind and twist one hand behind her back so that she had no ability to resist him.

"Now this is more my kind of struggle," Senzenen cooed proudly, "Do not fight with me, my lovely, but rather accept the kiss that I am about to bestow upon you."

"Unhand her-HEY!" Kodachi exclaimed as Azusa swung by and snatched the ribbon out of her hands before she could use it against Senzenen.

"Pierre, Pierre!" Azusa cried happily as she sped off with her prize in hand, leaving Kodachi to look on in dismay at the loss of her favorite weapon.

"Lemme go!" Akane cried as she struggled in vain to free herself from Senzenen, only to widen her eyes as the handsome boy leaned closer and attempted to kiss her, and with nothing between them to prevent his gaining what he was after.

"Oh man," Ranma winced from where he sat watching in the bleachers, "Now that is pathetic."

"Oh my," Kasumi agreed in understated worry.

"Hooboy," Nabiki winced, "Don't look now but I think Senzenen just made one very big tactical error..."

All at once Akane broke free from Senzenen's grip and the handsome boy went sailing back from her as though hurled by great effort, though in truth his intended victim had not physically touched him. In point of fact, Senzenen went hurtling backwards so fast that he lacked the time or ability to stop his momentum and went careening into a wall with jarring force that sent him bouncing off onto the ice in a helpless tumble.

"EWWW-gross!" Akane spat, "I've been touched by a guy...and I've never been so disgusted!"

Back in the stands Trieste only sighed, leaving it to Kimiko to remark, "Akane never could control her reactions. I've tried and tried to teach that girl but she still insists on letting her emotions have command over her actions and not vice versa."

Ukyo Kuonji, still crouched upon the ice and cradling a semi-conscious Shampoo in her lap, was watching this whole affair with no little dismay and a great deal of perverse fascination. She had arched an eyebrow as she witnessed Senzenen getting his comeuppance then murmured to herself, "Now why didn't I think of doing that to the bastard? I've really gotta hand it to you, Sugar, but when you say no you don't beat around the bush about it...unless it's somebody else doing the objecting."

To her considerable surprise she heard a soft mew of assent from the purple haired girl whom she was cradling, and as Ukyo glanced down to confirm that her skating partner was indeed recovering her wits after her ordeal something strange happened within the tortured bosom of the young Sith apprentice. A wave of mingled relief and concern flooded her system with incomprehensible emotions, leaving Ukyo in a much confused state as she asked aloud of the Chinese girl, "You gonna be all right, Sugar? You almost had me worried..."

"This one...is well, Ucchan," Shampoo remarked as she blinked her eyes and fought to keep them open, "What has she missed when she was out? This one...Shampoo...feels weak but...also steady."

"And you chewed me out for nearly overdoing it," Ukyo sniffed lightly, though what she actually wanted to do was more along the lines of mussing the Force Adept's silky hair with her hand and laughing aloud while hugging her tightly.

"This one..." all at once Shampoo blinked then asked, "Why Akane so angry? Almost it seem she wants to hurt the one named Mikado."

"Oh, nothing much," Ukyo cheerfully noted, "He just tried to kiss her."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo's eyebrows arched and her eyes widened to the size and shape of extremely large almonds, then the Amazon turned her head to stare at where Akane stood hunched over the fallen body of Senzenen and she could feel the effort with which her friend was struggling to keep her revulsion in check, cold fury replacing initial outrage while Akane's aura shifted form bright red to fiery orange.

"Are you all right?" Kodachi asked as she moved up alongside her smoldering fianc e.

"Fine...just as soon as I get something to wash the taste out of my mouth," Akane worked her jaw and fought the urge to either spit or vomit, "Man, what do other girls ever see in such a jerk?"

"If I have to explain that then you probably will never know," Kodachi answered, "But I tend to agree with you...his ranting reminds me overmuch of my own prideful brother."

Senzenen, never one to take an easy hint when it was offered, attempted to rise up to his feet once again, beginning with the words upon his lips, "If you don't mind, Kuno-san, this does not concern you, this matter is strictly between me and the-LAAADDDYYY?"

"Don't talk to her like that you...you filthy Jerk!" Akane spat as she mentally unleashed her tirade upon the hapless skater, sending Senzenen hurtling backward as though rocket propelled when no physical contact had been seen between him and his intended female conquest.

Elsewhere on the court Ryoga Hibiki was still fighting hard to regain his footing on a pair of borrowed ice-skates, so much so that he barely had time to register what was happening on the ice...right up until Senzenen collided with him in his heedless reaction to Akane's telekinetic rejection.

"Ow!" the former Sith adept complained as he found his face being pressed up against the ice by the weight of the other boy atop him, "Watch where you're falling, idiot!"

"My apologies," Senzenen said as he got back to his feet (albeit far less steady than was his usual aloof stature), "I seem...to have misjudged the floor a bit..."

"You're going to misjudge more than that if I get my hands on you, Senzenen," Ryoga direly promised, only to find his cheek was somehow stuck to the ice and resisted his efforts to pull away for some odd reason...

Back in the stands Ranma sat fretting, enough so that it prompted Nabiki to ask, "What's the matter, Ranma-kun? Don't you think Akane and Kodachi are putting up enough of a fight?"

"It's not that," Ranma said, "It's just...I ought be the one out there doing something about this, not sitting here letting those girls take the lumps from that baka, Senzenen."

"Looks more to me like he's the one getting the lumping," Ursula duly noted.

"Calm yourself, Ranma-kun," Kasumi urged, "Trust Akane and her new girlfriend to do what must needs doing."

"Easy for you to tell me to remain calm," Ranma reacted, "But supposing it was one of you out there? Would you expect me to just sit here while that creep tries to kiss you?"

"Whoah stud," Nabiki reacted, "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"Look," Ranma made a visible effort to calm himself down, "I know you're right about me not knowing my way on a pair of skates, but Ukyo used to be my best friend, and Akane...well, I don't get along with her much, but she and that other girl are barely holding on out there, and what if Senzenen tries one of his special techniques, like that 'Couple Cleaver?'"

Ursula leaned closer to Kasumi and said, "You know...I like him. Your sister's boyfriend's got some real fight in 'im, and a guy who wants to go all caveman and protect the ladies is such a charming anachronism these days."

"Er...yes," Kasumi replied, thinking privately that the actual state of affairs between herself and "Nabiki's boyfriend" was far too complex a matter to correct her old classmate or enlighten her as to the nature of their dual sisterly engagement.

In fact she had to concede that Ranma had a very good point...and even as she made this concession she saw Senzenen recovering his bearings once again, glaring angrily at Kodachi and ignoring the murderous glare that Akane paid in his direction. It was almost as though the boy blamed his condition upon the one he mistakenly mistook for a male rival, and in typical fashion directed his wrath towards the source of a perceived injustice.

"You...Kuno Akuma...I know that it was you who somehow caused this!" he snarled.

"Moi?" Kodachi feigned innocence then smiled, "As much as I would dearly love to take the credit, it was my fianc e who rejected you. I am merely a witness to your hapless attempts to gain an unwanted advantage."

"Nevertheless," Senzenen said proudly, "You have earned the wrath of Senzenen Mikado and must now be punished for your transgressions. For hoarding this lovely flower to yourself I will seek to bring about your undoing. For interfering in my business and for nearly cutting my precious face I will deal with you now in a manner that befits a whelp of your standards."

"Whelp am I?" Kodachi pulled out a fan from concealment and effected a primly ruffled demeanor, "I like that! And coming from an acknowledged molester that is quite an insult. Therefore...prepare to meet your own undoing as I unleash upon you my dreaded Attack of the Thousand Fans!"

With that the fan in her hand unfolded into a plane-like surface that she moved with such speed that it momentarily became just a blur to the naked eye, but the wind it caused in passing was sufficient to make Senzenen back away with a much dismayed reaction. His reaction became all the more intense as Kodachi made it appear as though many fans gripped by a series of hands were waving at him simultaneously, which kicked up an even greater wind than before and sent him reeling backwards.

"Whoah," Akane said with widened eyes turned full upon Kodachi, "That's a new one I've never seen before..." thinking to herself that her fianc e had never tried anything this formidable with her during their own match a couple of months back.

Senzenen was only mildly balked by the wind kicked up by Kodachi. He managed to recovery his nerve and then hunched down to resist and squared his shoulders as though readying for an attack and said, "So...you do have some surprising moves of your own, Kuno-san, but this is nothing to me, just another obstacle to overcome so that I can claim my thousand-and-oneth kiss from the lips of the fair Akane."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo exclaimed as she got to her feet with the assistance of Ukyo, "What he say about obstacles? Does he mean...removing?"

"Could be, Sugar," Ukyo replied with a frown, "Talk about one track minds...hope Akane and her beau know what they're about..."

Kodachi saw her opponent begin to really for a counter-attack and smiled to herself with anticipation. She was actually beginning to enjoy this match and was curious to see what new tactic Mikado Senzenen would employ next in hopes of winning. No matter what the fool had up his sleeve, however, she felt confident that she would come up with a counter...or at least she had thought it so until her fan all but magically disappeared from her hands, leaving her to pause in mid-stroke, wondering why her fingers were clutching air instead of her chosen weapon.

"Rospier, Rospier!" Azusa cried happily as she clutched Kodachi's fan to her bosom, "You are so cute little Rospier...Azusa will take you home and we shall play together and..."

"HEY!" both Akane and Kodachi chorused as one, "GIVE THAT BACK!"

"It would seem my partner has disarmed you of your little toy, Kuno-san," Senzenen smiled cockily, "Now see why relying on one is not the best strategies when dealing with a foe who needs only his own resources!"

With that pronouncement Senzenen spread his arms wide and began to spin like a top where he was standing, creating a vortex in short order that caught Kodachi by surprise and picked her up as if on invisible strings. The young Kuno heir yelped in surprise and dismay as she found herself helpless within the grip of invisible forces...yet no sooner did control of the situation slip through her grasp then another force intervened and embraced her tightly, drawing her out of the vortex before Senzenen could take advantage of her hapless status.

"I've got you, 'Dachi!" Akane declared as she caught the dark haired gymnast into her arms, then swung her around behind her body as she placed herself squarely between Kodachi and Senzenen, at whom she glared in angry warning.

"What...what happened?" Senzenen asked as he slowed his momentum around in order to try and gain some sense of his surroundings. One moment he had his foe trapped within his grasp, the next he was snatched away by a force much greater than his own, and as he sought to focus his eyes upon the figure that was standing before him he suddenly got a much closer examination of a fist full of knuckles, and then his vision was blurred by exploding stars and pinwheels as he went sailing backwards once again, unerringly traveling in the direction of a less than wary Ryoga.

"Finally!" the lost boy and apprenticed Sith declared as he managed to finish prying his face off the ice, leaving a reddened mark flaked with ice crystals in passing, "Now to pay that-OOOWWW!" he cried as he was once more tumbled by Senzenen, only this time he had sense enough to catch his weight on the palms of both hands rather than to suffer having his face once more be frozen on contact. This was very bad news for Senzenen, however, as the feral boy snarled in rage, recognizing the source of his discomfort and this time being in a position to do something appropriately wrathful about it.

"I happened!" Akane declared as she held the pose with which she had struck Senzenen, "Nobody gets away with doing stuff like that to my friends, and especially not to Kodachi!"

"I...see," the pony-tailed Kuno drawled slowly, "And why, precisely, am I to be especially protected?"

"Because..." Akane started to turn around, ignoring the roar that came from an enraged Ryoga to turn startled eyes towards her violet eyed partner, "I...uh...I mean...well...you're under my protection, remember? And I can't let anyone get away with treating you like dirt."

"I had matters under control," Kodachi reassured her, "Despite appearances I am not without my own resources."

"Um...right..." Akane swallowed, "I didn't mean to...interfere or imply that you're weak or helpless or anything like that. I just...um...well..."

"Feel compelled to demonstrate to me your superior mastery of the Force?" Kodachi arched an eyebrow, "Or is your sudden gallantry because you feel you owe me a favor? Or is this some proprietary impulse on your part...such as your previous statement that I belonged to you and no other?"

"I said that?" Akane blinked.

"Well...implied more than said really," Kodachi conceded, "But it amounts to much the same thing...and I thought we had an agreement not to take this engagement thing thought up by our fathers too seriously."

"Well, I do...I mean...I don't...I..." Akane stammered, now thoroughly confounded by the contradictory sensations that were being caused by the other girl's accusations and nearness, "Um...can we talk about this later...?"

Senzenen, though currently flat on his back with the world spinning all around him, was just then awakening to the realization of an entirely new level of peril as Ryoga suddenly loomed up over him, then self-preservation took over and by sheer reflex he managed to roll out of the way as a powerful fist struck the ice and shattered it like glasswork.

The shockwaves traveled the length of the rink and fissures began to form all across the arena, startling the others presently laying atop the ice with the sudden realization that their footing was now far less solid and infinitely less certain.

High above the arena Darth Purge looked down and hissed in dark amusement, "How entertaining these mammals can be. They provide the perfect diversion and yet remain unaware of the part that they are playing...eh? What is this?" he shifted his gaze towards the Tendo party sitting in the bleachers then saw the other pair that was wading past those already seated, and at once he took notice of the way the slightly built boy kept darting looks up towards the ceiling...and straight at Purge himself as though he had somehow managed to penetrate the Sith Lord's mind shield.

"Curses!" Purge swore a few choice words in his native language then bit down on his anger and projected the mental commands, **Now, Taro-san, before we are discovered!**

"Oh man...did you guys feel that?" Ranma asked.

"Right down to my toes, Ranma-kun," Nabiki answered, "That Ryoga guy's losing it, and in that state of mind he could wreck the entire arena."

"Akane and the others are in danger," Kasumi realized, already on her feet as the three of them had the simultaneous thought of doing something about this.

"I agree with your assessment of the danger," Trieste informed her star pupils, "You had best go to their aid before..."

"SEMPAI!" a familiar voice called out, causing attentions to divert towards the approaching Ryonami and Gosunkuji.

"Eh?" Nabiki asked, sensing the urgency within her nominal assistant, "Ryo-chan? Is something...?"

All at once a section of the bleachers erupted upwards and a ten foot tall beast-man made his entrance upon the scene, startling patrons and terrifying audience members who were near to the scene, while those unfortunate enough to be on top of those seats went flying in all directions.

Ukyo at once reacted with a startled cry of, "Taro?!"

"Aiyaa," was Shampoo's softer voiced reaction, seeing the Sith adept with the multiple cursed form erupting into full view like some Toho studios giant monster.

Akane's reaction was an even more startled exclamation, one that would have earned a cross look from her mother had Kimiko been able to hear it over the tearing of metal and the screams of helpless victims. Kodachi on the other hand paled considerably as she asked, "What...what is that hideous creature?"

"Taro-san," Akane numbly replied, "You know...your would-be boyfriend...?"

"Azusa scared, Miki!" the brown haired skater declared as she abruptly hid once again behind her equally dumbstruck male partner, who for once did not have a ready quip upon his lips for idle reassurance.

Even Ryoga left off his attempts to pound Senzenen's face into the ice, distracted by the sight of his former sparring partner's giant minotaur-like form as he stumbled on the words, "Pantsaru-san?" as if wondering whether to regard him now as either a foe or an ally.

"They filming a movie here or something?" Ursula wondered aloud as though having difficulty believing in the reality of the current situation.

"Oh man, what's that jerk doing here?" Ranma declared, already on his feet and ready to go into action.

"I do not know, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said, "But people are being hurt and it is our duty to put a stop to this before it goes any further."

"I'm game if you are, Oneechan," Nabiki said, "But...you think the three of us are enough to take him?"

"We will have to find out the hard way I fear," Kasumi said, already in forward motion.

"You girls stay here!" Ranma ordered, already vaulting away towards the metal railing, "I'll see what that creep wants, then I'll boot him to Hokkaido!"

Both Nabiki and Kasumi called out to him at once, concern for their mutual iinazuke sufficiently distracting them so that they did not detect the true source of danger until the very last moment as Darth Purge descended from above like the shadow of wrathful vengeance.

Trieste's senses were partially baffled by the mental noise of all the panicky people that surrounded her, but she was far too well trained not to perceive the shadow of danger in the full three seconds that it took for Purge to make the thirty-five meter drop from ceiling to bleachers, cushioning his fall at the very end by employing the Force to create a telekinetic buffer aimed at the spot that Ranma and his fianc es had just vacated. At once her hand went for her lightsaber...only to get tangled in the folds of her dress since she had kept it partially in concealment so as not to create an alarm in those who might recognize it for a weapon.

For an instant the Jedi Mistress knew a spark of true fear as her hand failed to make immediate contact with the comforting grip of her saber, and in that moment of stark realization she was vulnerable to attack, a fact which Purge took immediate advantage of, stabbing forward with his own lightsaber and striking home before Trieste had time to even think about dodging.

Those immediately near enough to witness this event stood stunned and paralyzed as a wave of pain shot out from Trieste as the ruby hot beam of Purge's saber struck just under the breastbone and below her heart, a carefully aimed blow calculated to cause an agonizing and irrevocable death since the saber vaporized the tissues surrounding the wound and caused every liquid organ to erupt at once, beginning with the heart and lungs, so that the Jedi Mistress rocked back in shock with flames gouting out from between her parted lips. Her eyes briefly became white with internal fire and her nervous system instantly translated into a searing white energy flow that sent Force ripples in all directions. Even as Purge withdrew his Saber the effects of this mortal injury continued to rage as Soun, Kimiko, Kasumi and Nabiki all felt it at once traveling via their sympathetic rapport with the Jedi Mistress, and Akane keeled over as the pain threatened to overwhelm her young mind, while Ranma himself cried out and lost his footing upon the railing.

"Revenge...at last!" Purge cried in malevolent triumph, then he wasted no further time turning towards the rest of the Tendo clan that was within reach of his lightsaber. With methodical and machine-like efficiency he took advantage of their helplessness and went at them with quick strokes that cut Soun and Kimiko down, then Nabiki fell like a sapling while claiming Kasumi next as the young woman attempted to bring her own lightsaber into play. Ursula started to object only to find the hot beam of the saber carving into her own ample chest, and from there it was a simple enough matter for Purge to turn to face a helpless Ranma, triumph already certain as the Dark Lord held all of the advantages of the moment...

All save for one crucial, all-important element that the Sith Lord had failed to take into his calculations, the young boy named Gosunkuji, who had seen the Sith Lord descend upon his prey and had stood with open mouth as witness to the lizard man's rampages. When the shock of Trieste's death struck home the Force-  
wave had triggered something within him that was dormant yet now active, and as he watched the rest of his new friends being cut down with merciless efficiency it was like reliving many of the hideous things that he had seen while serving with the Yakuza played out before his eyes...and without even having to think about it his mind cried out a single word, **NOOOOOOOOO!**

Nodoka Saotome had draw her Katana and was about to slash Purge from behind while Genma himself was recovering from the shock of what had just happened to his best friend and family...then all at once something very strange began to happen, something that only one with the sharp perceptions of a trained martial artist could sense transpiring before it actually happened. Genma turned with rounded eyes and stared at the slightly built boy (whom he would normally dismiss as a "weakling") and was amazed to witness the lines of energy that suddenly sharpened their focus all around him, and all at once Gosunkuji became the center of a vortex that caught up everyone and everything around him in a swirling mass of energy and spatial distortion.

It is a noted fact that Time can flow in but one direction only, always forward and never backwards, that being its inherent nature as governed by the laws of Fourth Continuum physics. But it is also known that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, and the phenomenon known as "Anti-Time" balances out the positive polarity of regular time in the same way that Anti-Matter compliments regular Matter. It is also so noted that the "Dark Mass" of the universe is caused by the overlap of multiple dimensions occupying an infinite number of parallel time frames, and that some of these frames are merely "potential" realities, not manifested by the actual rules of probability dynamics. For every possibility there were innumerable low-probabilities that would never transpire or become actual timelines...but their potential energy remained constantly in the shadow of the manifested timeline that became an actuality...and if someone with a powerful enough mind could reach across the gap of the barest of microseconds and overlap one reality on top of another...

Gosunkuji lacked the training to accomplish such a thing by his own whiles, yet emotion was the powerful bridge that was needed for him to reach in deep within his vast untapped resources and tap into a wellspring of his own latent potential to achieve a feat that no Jedi before him had even attempted in uncounted millennia. The novice Jedi Wizard's mind expanded as his brain processed vast amounts of raw data and found his intuition being guided by an unknowable intelligence whose wisdom was as old and vast as the cosmos itself...and all at once Reality...inverted...

To the eyes of the untrained what seemed to take place was that Time itself went on pause...Purge in the act of turning around to meet the new threat posed by Nodoka...only to turn forward once again as the Saotome matron calmly sat back and resheathed her katana. Like a video image taking place in full reverse Purge's lightsaber passed through Kasumi's midsection and her body resealed itself, then the blade emerged from Nabiki's shoulder as her flesh instantly knitted together, her shocked expression remaining frozen as Purge continued backwards and set about to "un-kill" both of her parents. At last Purge's saber plunged back into the breastbone of Trieste, whose body rose up to meet him, then just as abruptly he yanked it free and she was healed and restored to full life. Purge continued in back-motion by leaping up into the air in the reverse direction from which he had descended...only to freeze again in mid-leap as Time started to reassert itself once again, only paused for a few seconds during which an eternity seemed to transpire for all concerned parties.

Then Gosunkuji felt his resources begin to ebb, and like a muscle that had not been sufficiently worked into condition he collapsed in on himself, falling back into the arms of a startled Ryonami. With his slumping into unconsciousness reality snapped back like a rubber band and everything else seemed to "fast-  
forward" into motion...only with very significant differences in the outcome.

Nabiki was the first to recover, having had her hand upon her weapon prior to the attack and needing only to shift it slightly before triggering its spring-  
action release catch. At once the butt end struck the floor railing while the weapon end shot upward, catching Purge on the descent in a very sensitive portion of his anatomy. It was mere fortuitous circumstances for his sake that the beam part of her naginata failed to immediately trigger, but the effect was enough to double him over as he went crashing into the vacated seats of the bleachers.

Trieste was not so quick to recover herself...the shock of her own near-death leaving her in no immediate condition to take advantage of Purge's condition. Not so for Kimiko at her side, however, who saw a perfect opportunity at hand to deliver a savage kick to the face of the stunned lizard man, and as Purge went from crouching to full upright it left Soun with a ready target-rich environment upon which to practice his own righteous fury. Having experienced his own death and that of his women and daughters left him with no hesitation or restraint as he landed a solid blow to Purge's midsection that picked the lizard man up and sent him hurtling fully into the ice rink.

Like that time reverted to normal, and everything else continued as it was meant to, but Nabiki shot a gratified look towards her father and said, "Way to go, Daddy!"

"Come on!" Ranma declared, finding himself back perched upon the railing, "Let's get that murdering creep and his jerk of a student!"

"We are with you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi reassured him, lightsaber in hand and now possessed by a Tendo sister who had every intention of seeing to the Sith Lord's immediate destruction.

"Ranma!" Nodoka called up, holding out her family katana, "You will need this to deal with that...creature."

"No," Trieste said as she finally recovered herself, "Ordinary steel will be of no use against a lightsaber. Take this, my young apprentice."

Ranma opened his hand and snatched the object hurled at him out of the air, then stared in amazement at what he held, saying, "Sensei?"

"Go to it, Boy," Genma urged, "No sense waiting around to let that fiend escape us."

"Uh...right, Pop," Ranma replied, turning about even as he, Nabiki and Kasumi were vaulting the railing together, all three of them now armed with deadly lightsabers.

"Go with speed, my Boy," Genma nodded, only to turn a look towards the unconscious Gosunkuji that was full of interest and deep speculation...

Akane had righted herself but still felt the ringing in her ears of the near-  
death of a woman whom she regarded as her second mother. The shock of this inspired anger, and with the surge of adrenaline it created she turned to see the plummeting form of Darth Purge and snarled, "He's meat!"

Kodachi, only aware that something very peculiar had just occurred (the likes of which she did not readily understand) looked on in amazement as Akane suddenly had her lightsaber in hand and was skating furiously in the direction where Purge had landed, which left one idle question in her mind, "Now where on earth was she hiding that this whole time...?"

Ukyo and Shampoo were both still recovering from the shock of Trieste's near passing, having felt the psychic wave like a blow to both of their temples. They had no time to recover or even to join in the attack against Ukyo's former mentor, however, since at that moment Taro had shaken off his own dazed state and had beaten his leathery wings to carry him over the arena, and now had descended in the space directly before them, spreading his arms wide and grinning in malevolent anticipation.

"Aiyaa..." Shampoo exclaimed, only to have Ukyo shove her rudely to the side before a clawed hand could rake the both of them, and together they went tumbling onto the ice, only to rise up again with each of them clutching their own personal lightsaber.

"Glad I brought this along in case of emergencies, Sugar," Ukyo murmured to her partner.

"Hai," Shampoo agreed, her glowing purple blade held at the ready, "Is former friend of yours?"

"Ain't never been no friend of mine," Ukyo snarled, "You've had this coming for some time now, jerk! Get ready to take it where the sun ain't shining!"

In response to this Taro grinned a huge and hideous smile and pulled up a bar that was many times as big as a regular lightsaber then triggered the double-  
blade to reveal its sinister character, which seemed to suit him just as good as a laser-like pole arm.

Both Sith and Jedi adepts swallowed thickly and said in mutual chorus, "Aiyaa..."

Darth Purge had been mildly winded by the blow to his chest, yet finding himself crashing hard upon the frozen surface of the skating arena was a disconcerting enough effect since reptiles of his nature were not typically well suited for dealing with cold climates. Nevertheless he was far too well disciplined to be taken down in such a off-handed manner and was able to get back on his feet just in time to meet the triple threat being posed to him by the Jedi students going on the offensive.

Kasumi was poised and balanced enough as she sought to hold her footing upon the ice, but she could not make good progress without a pair of skates to give her better grounding. Nabiki, on the other hand, had but to smile and click her heels together and suddenly her shoes sported a row of cleats, the younger Tendo sister congratulating herself upon her ingeniousness and foresight.

Ranma-by total contrast-was slipping and sliding on the ice as though his feet were totally devoid of all friction. It was a wonder he was able to remain upright at all with the comical way in which he kept skidding and sliding while seeking his balance, and Purge easily dismissed whatever small threat he posed since the fool had not even activated his own lightsaber, and probably did not know how to begin with.

Even as he drew his own ruby lightsaber once again in order to meet this new threat he sensed a fourth source of danger and turned around in time to see an enraged Akane bearing down upon him. He barely managed to turn in time to deflect her initial attack since she was moving with such speed that even his reptilian reflexes were taxed to compensate, but with a few quick passes he quite easily disarmed her.

Akane found her weapon being batted aside and out of her hand with ridiculous, almost contemptible effort, yet rather than press his momentary advantage against her she found Purge's blade hesitating a few inches beneath her chin with the heat it radiated enough to deter her from all thoughts of evasion. Purge smiled down the length of his glowing blade then allowed the silent threat posed to her to register in the eyes of the rest of her Jedi clan, then he smiled confidently and said aloud, "Your weapons...drop them or see the bitch fry."

Kasumi deactivated her lightsaber and let it fall to her feet, even as Nabiki similarly discarded her naginata arm. Ranma was in no condition to let go but glared across the distance between them and said, "If you hurt her...!"

"You will do nothing," Purge turned his focus back towards Akane, "I can feel your rage...you might well make an excellent apprentice, perhaps even a worthy successor to Ukyo, but for now you are of more use to me as a hostage."

"I'll never cooperate with you!" Akane snarled, "And I'll never join your cause!"

"Foolish primate," Purge hissed, "You've already ventured onto the Dark side and you don't even know it. Perhaps with time and guidance we could make a very good Sith out of you, but for now-OOOW!"

He suddenly flinched as yet another bowling pin was bounced off of his scaly head by an irate Kodachi.

"How dare you threaten her like that, you fiend from the pits!" the disguised Kuno declared with a haughty and contemptful expression, producing her razor-  
lined hoop in one hand before adding in a snarl, "Tendo is mine to judge, not yours to play with!"

All at once the hoop was snatched out of her hand by Azusa, who eagerly skated away with it as she cried, "Celicia! Celicia! Azusa has found you!"

"Hey!" Kodachi cried out, finding herself suddenly once more without a weapon, "Not again...!"

Purge was only distracted for a moment, but that was time enough for Akane to reach out with her mind and snatch up her lightsaber. At once she activated it and batted Purge's weapon away, then tried to press in home with another attack, even as Kasumi and Nabiki recovered their own weapons and brought them into immediate play.

Though Purge was easily skilled enough to meet the attack of the youngest Tendo skater, having Nabiki and Kasumi join in was a bit much even by his standards, and all at once he found himself having to fend off three lightsabers at once, which drove him back relentlessly and caused him great distress as the most skilled of the three-Kasumi-was clearly not holding back and had every intention of making this their final encounter. If not for her uncertain footing she might well have scored against him, but as it was he managed to keep out of range of her formidable blade while fending off Akane's saber and Nabiki's naginata.

Meanwhile Ukyo and Shampoo were doing their level best to fend off the attack of the monstrous Taro, who's double-bladed saber was keeping them on their edge while forcing them back across the broken and cracked ice that impeded normal skating. Only their combined talents with the Force enabled the pair to keep one step ahead of his attacks as Taro was not holding back in his efforts at claiming a victim, and with all the battering and bruises they had taken during their match it was looking rather certain that one or both girls might make a mistake and stumble...and one mistake was all that it would take for Taro to triumph.

Ryoga saw this plainly and fretted, for unlike Ukyo he did not possess a lightsaber, nor was he skilled at using one though his training in the Force had been more in the area of amplification of his physical and spiritual talents. As much as he ached to come to her aid he knew full well that he was no match for Taro's cursed form even minus a weapon, and the only advantage which he actually possessed would count for dramatic overkill since an attack sufficient to take down the monstrous man-beast might well harm the one he sought to protect in the collateral damage.

Also too the ice had become extremely treacherous since his misguided attack against Senzenen. Twice had damaged the once-smooth surface. Twice he nearly tumbled as his skates encountered a breakage, but he recovered both times and managed to avoid a repeat where he had been trapped and helpless by his own inexperience at skating. Even so there was no way he could navigate with sufficient skill to bring his martial arts abilities into effective play, and Taro's wide-splayed feet had no difficulty at all digging into the ice to enable him to find the traction that he needed...

But then an idea formed in Ryoga's admitted slow brain, and though he could hardly think in terms of mass-to-area weight ratios he sensed that Taro's immense size had one obvious drawback, something that became all the more apparent when he saw a section of ice dip slightly under the weight of the rampaging creature. Ryoga immediately sensed that his fellow Sith had a vulnerability that could be exploited, and all that he needed to do was to get close enough to make an attack that would be wholly unexpected, so intent was Taro in dealing death to a girl whom he had many reasons to think ill against.

And so the former Sith adept began edging his way closer to the battle, even as Darth Purge himself was feeling taxed to his limits, deflecting two saber attacks only to dodge a near-strike by a naginata. Complicating his situation the Tendo sisters were fighting with coordinated teamwork and seemed to anticipate one another's actions, and there was no question that such a three-  
pronged display of adept skills would compensate for their individual weaknesses or inexperience as fighters, so he decided to do something fast to break things up before one or more of them got "lucky," a possibility becoming increasingly likely with every passing minute.

(Damnation and Blood), he thought to himself, (I was so near to victory...I had won! How could things have gotten so completely out of hand...how did my vengeance get undone? I had the bitches in my claws...and their mentor was toasted! Something happened to change the outcome of my attack...but what...?)

Then it hit him with crystal clarity, his memory darting back to the instant when matters were so dramatically reversed. (That boy...the one with the overlarge eyes and unhealthy complexion...I felt his mind explode...somehow he caused this...he has a power! I could feel the Force congeal all around him...he must be gifted in a way that is most extraordinary. Could he possibly be...a Jedi Wizard?)

The realization was so shocking and at once exhilarating that Purge nearly lost his concentration, and like a shot Kasumi darted in and nearly scored a hit, just missing Purge's ribs and putting a hole in his cape, so close that he could feel the searing heat it generated.

Unfortunately for the eldest of the Tendo siblings came a bit too close in her lunge and gave Purge the opening he needed to extend a claw and project the Force in her directions. Kasumi was not braced against the telekinetic wave that struck her body and knocked her flying backwards, effectively putting much needed distance between Darth Purge and the greatest source of immediate danger.

Freed from having to fend off his most dangerous opponent Purge next turned his wrath upon Nabiki, slicing through the haft of her Naginata as she extended it a bit too far, and had the middle child of the Tendo clan not sensibly flipped backwards out of reach of his next attack she might well have lost a limb or her life as Purge came at her while she was presently without a weapon.

Unfortunately for him he allowed overconfidence to take hold at that moment and paid for it with searing pain as Akane sensed an opening and struck home, cutting through the bone, muscle and sinew of one leg and partially crippling him there, which caused the dark lord to cry out in shock at being wounded by the one he had taken for the weakest of his opponents.

Akane felt a moment of exhilaration as she sensed that her foe had been greatly weakened, yet she did not anticipate that he would recover with such speed that he would get inside her guard before she could press home her advantage, and with a savage backhand the immense lizard man sent her flying, so hard that she nearly lost consciousness and was heading for the nearest wall with breakneck speed that was certain to be quite painful.

But a body moved too quickly to allow this to happen, and all at once she impacted against the arms of Kodachi. Even so their combined momentum was still rather jarring, yet again a figure intercepted their flight, and all at once both young women found themselves in the arms of a protective Mikado Senzenen.

"I have you both!" he declared, "You are safe for the non, have no fear about that!"

"Senzenen-san?" Kodachi declared in dull amazement.

"Don't look so surprised, Kuno-san," the handsome boy replied, "Though rivals we may be I am not the cad you must imagine that I would permit harm to befall either one of you at the hands of this...monster?"

All at once Kodachi became aware of a change in the tone of their nominal rescuer, but-even more to the point-she became aware that one of his hands had positioned itself by chance over a bosom, and that said hand had reflexively flexed its fingers to discover the rather surprising sponginess there concealed beneath her "manly" vestments.

"Kuno Akuma-san?" Senzenen blinked, "You...you have breasts? You are a...woman?"

"How perceptive of you," Kodachi replied with deceptive blandness, and then she broke free from his hold and spilled the boy face-first into the ice with an angry growl, "AND NEXT TIME YOU FEEL LIKE COPPING A FEEL, TRY REMEMBERING THAT THEY'RE ATTACHED, BAKA!"

"Ouch," Ranma winced, struggling to keep his footing while catching a glance at the fate that befell Senzenen, "Oh man...that Purge guy's going after Nabiki! If only I could get to her...dammit!"

"Need some help, Nephew-in-law?" a familiar voice asked, causing Ranma to take notice of two figures that had leaped into the arena without any warning.

"You?" he blurted in amazement, "Elder Cologne...and the old freak?"

"Watch your tongue, Boy," Happosai snapped, "We're here to give you a little assistance, so show some gratitude you ungrateful pup!"

"Help?" Ranma asked.

"You seem to be having difficulty finding your stance," Cologne explained, "And while I would dearly love to teach you the Amazon technique for walking upon snow and ice, I think this will be enough to give you at least some of the footing that you are after."

To his considerable surprise the two ancient martial arts masters each produced a bag of something that touched a memory of recognition in Ranma's subconscious. But then the bags were opened and their contents scattered across the ice, causing Ranma to gasp with immediate realization.

"Rock salt?" he gasped, picking up a large grain and studying it to confirm his conclusions.

"Better hurry before it starts melting through the ice," Happosai advised, "For a few seconds at least it will make the ice uneven and give you some level of friction, but only if you hurry fast before it turns the ice into a puddle."

"Right...I got it!" Ranma snapped, realization making him rock forward as he found that he could indeed run across the rock salt if he managed it carefully, and by turns built up sufficient momentum to achieve a flying leap that was aimed towards his intended opponent.

Nabiki was in a bad way and fully knew it, cornered as she was by the injured Purge, who still had possession of his lightsaber and was clearly ready to use it since she was the one Jedi within reach that he seemed certain to claim for his victim.

"I wanted your whole clan," Purge snarled, "But I'll have to settle for one of the clutch instead...!"

"MONSTER!"

The cry was the only warning he had, his focus being too far removed from his usual aloof level of awareness. Purge turned in time to gape in amazement as Ranma sailed through the air and somehow managed to figure out how to activate his borrowed light saber, triggering it in mid-flight so that he could bring it down in a slash that was backed by the rage and fury of a battle-maddened Saotome.

Had Purge been less adept at raising his sword in his own defense he might well have perished then and there, sliced in half by a borrowed lightsaber, but even deflected the greenish beam of Trieste's blade was backed by the force of will and muscle far in excess of the strength of an ordinary teenager, and with a grunt of astonishment Purge found himself driven to his knees, barely fending off Ranma's second and third attack as the greenish blade struck crimson and raised frightening sparks, bathing both antagonists in the unearthly glow that they created.

Ukyo felt her muscles tire even before Taro lunged at her with a thrust that turned out to be a feint to get her to extend her guard too far, and she barely had time to dodge as his real attack came within a hairs breadth of scoring, the heat almost blistering skin as he cut through her clothing and just missed slicing her open.

Ukyo staggered back, her skates encountering another crack in the ice, only this time she lacked the strength to compensate and wound up sprawling on her backside upon the ice. Taro was quick to bear down upon her, and this time Ukyo knew for certain that she was a goner, and the last thought that came to mind as she saw his blade descend was how stupid it was to be taken down by a punk like Pantyhose Taro. It just was not fair, she was so much stronger than him when he was in human guise and fighting fairly...

But Shampoo saw her partner's vulnerability and at once moved to block the thrust, causing the blade to melt a patch of the ice near to Ukyo's body. Unfortunately the Amazon was having difficulty with her own footing as she tried to brace against Taro's second attack and instead wound up landing on top of the one she was seeking to protect. Not one to miss a golden opportunity when it was presented he aimed his third attack at the square point between Shampoo's exposed shoulder blades, thinking to himself as he prepared to strike, (Fitting way for you to go, Bitch...impaled with your Lezbo lover like a fly on paper...)

A fist struck the ice near to where he was standing and all at once Taro felt it shatter beneath his feet, causing him to utter a startled exclamation as he started to slip into the freezing ice-water. Taro cried out in protest at being cheated of his prey, only to swallow a mouthful of water for his troubles as he sunk completely out of sight, his double-bladed lightsaber slipping from his grasp as he fought to regain the surface.

"Got you...baka..." Ryoga sighed, only to find his grip upon the ice was suddenly as tenuous as it had been for Taro. He desperately clutched at the largest chunk of the splintering ice that fell immediately to hand and yelped in dismay as the freezing water splashed him and triggered his Jusenkyo curse, pig squeals filling the air as he tried not to drown, his hands no longer well suited for managing more than a dog paddle.

"Ryoga...you is idiot!" Shampoo called out as she and Ukyo found themselves taking a bath in the chilling water, the latter finding her own cursed form doubled the misery of her condition since her long mane of cat-fur was hardly water proof. Ukyo yowled in instinctive reaction, sharing a cat's normal disdain of cold bathing.

Nabiki was astonished upon seeing Ranma go at Darth Purge like a maddened demon, battering the larger lizard-man's blade to and fro as Purge struggled to follow the match the speed of his opponent's attack-style. Ranma was fighting with a skill that was quite surprising considering his inexperience with lightsaber dueling, and he was making a good show against the more experienced Sith lord, enough so that the lizard man was clearly on the defensive.

But Purge had one last resource yet to be played, and now he judged the time appropriate to raise the stakes of the battle. Purge jumped back rather than take an opening that Ranma offered him in an attempt at misleading his opponent, but rather than take the bait the Sith Lord extended a clawed hand and allowed the dark Force to flow through him, conducting the polarity of positive and negative nodes in the form of erupting lightning patterns, which same caught Ranma by surprise and was only partially deflected by Trieste's lightsaber.

Like that the tide of battle was reversed again, Ranma winding up sprawling on the ice with his nerves on fire as though electrified, and in that moment he was vulnerable and helpless. Purge took a moment to draw deep breath then smiled, reckoning that this annoying nuisance was as good as dealt with already, and thus missing out as Nabiki reached into her belt and produced yet another hidden weapon.

The Dark Lord's only warning this time was the sound of something hitting the ice quite near to where he was standing, and no sooner did he look down to see the odd metallic objects that Nabiki had thrown then they suddenly exploded underneath him, catching the towering lizard man by surprise and shattering the ice upon which he had been standing.

"Flash-bangs...you gotta love 'em," Nabiki grinned, then paused as a cloud of steam obscured her vision of the Sith lord, which prompted her to say, "Hmmm...I wonder if maybe I mixed too much Mercury Sulfate with the Nitro..."

"Imoutochan...are you all right?" Kasumi asked as she caught up with her sister and spared an anxious glance towards Ranma.

"Oh yeah," Nabiki sagged against the wall of the arena, "Never better...if you count nearly getting killed fifteen times in the same day a picnic, Oneechan."

Much to her surprise the middle Tendo sister found herself being gripped by a steady hand as Kasumi leaned on her and gave her sister a look that was as much one of concern as it was of gratitude and longing. Nabiki turned an amazed look towards Kasumi as the flood of emotions traveled through them via this contact, and all at once she realized just how glad she was to see that Kasumi was all right, even more than she had been concerned for the state of her own welfare. In point of fact...

"Ranma!" they both realized with a start, their mutual rapport turning immediately to the boy they both were courting.

"Oh man...what...what did that jerk do to me...?" Ranma asked as he fought to regain control over his own jerking muscles.

All at once he found himself being cradled in the laps of his fianc es, Kasumi and Nabiki instantly pouring over him to determine the extent of his injuries while lending their strength to their man to enable him to ease back from his muscular spasms and momentary disorientation.

"Easy there, Ranma-kun," Kasumi urged gently, "You'll be all right now...Nabiki and I will help you."

"Yeah," Nabiki agreed, "You'll be safe with Oneechan and me...we got rid of the bad guy...he's either toast or flown the coop, can't even sense him at the moment."

"He's not dead yet, guys," a scratch voice that sounded roughly like Ukyo caused them all to glance up in order to see a cat-girl version of Ukyo leaning on Shampoo for support and them both looking as wet as a pair of proverbial kittens, "I know my Master well enough that I think I'd sense if he were dead. He got away, I think, but not without some serious scarring, thanks to you, Sugar."

"Uh...yeah," a somewhat battered looking Akane replied as she slowly approached them with Kodachi hovering close by as though concerned for her condition, "Got a lucky strike there, but not enough to take him out of the fight, darn it."

"You all did very well," said Trieste as she, the parents and elders slowly approached them, "I was incredibly pleased and impressed with the way you handled yourselves out here, students, and while I do have some...questions about the rather unorthodox techniques you employed, but on the whole I'd say you've earned your praise and are entitled to a breather."

"S-Sensei..." Ranma said as he raised the lightsaber that he still clutched in hand, only to find it flew from his hand back into the possession of its rightful owner.

"You will have a lightsaber of your own one day, young Master Saotome," Trieste assured him as she replaced her weapon on the belt that she had concealed beneath her dress, "But for now you will need much more training before I am satisfied that you have earned it. More than simple skills in battle are what mark a Jedi as apart from other warriors, and you must learn the full extent of the ways of the Force if you are to master them effectively, as you have already seen in your battles with the Dark lord."

"Uh...yeah," Ranma said as he started to sit upright, "What was that he hit me with back there? It felt...like I was on fire all over..."

"The Dark side has many forms and aspects, my very young apprentice," Trieste informed him, "It is mainly intended to be used for knowledge and events, but when employed as a weapon...it can be a terrible ally, a double-edged sword in the hands of the unwary."

"Can you do stuff like that, Sensei?" Akane asked, "Throw lightning bolts and stuff?"

"If I have a need...I do know how to wield the Force that way, yes," Trieste informed them, "But I would prefer not to as it is such a violent and distasteful brand of Force usage. I will teach you better and more holistic ways in which to defend yourselves so that you are not caught off guard like this again...but only if you study hard and impress me with your lessons."

"Hai, Sensei," Kasumi bowed, "I will see to it that Nabiki and Ranma-kun train hard in order to please you."

"It is not my pleasure that should concern the three of you," Trieste managed to hide her amusement, "But you figure it out soon enough on your own. And as for you, my dear Kuonji..."

"I know," Ukyo slumped her wet shoulders even more against the supportive Shampoo, "I almost lost it there a couple of times. What can I say? We Sith are creatures of habit."

"Yes, well...I think Shampoo has a few ideas about that," Trieste remarked, "I will leave it to her to assist you in overcoming your own dark urges. And as for you, Kuno-san."

"Sensei?" Kodachi asked with a faint lilt in her tone and manner.

Trieste just sighed, "You and Akane have some issues to work out between you. I suggest you settle matters by yourselves before either one of you continues with your lessons."

Despite herself Akane swallowed thickly and said, "All right, Sensei...but...no matter what you think you saw out there, Kodachi and me..."

"Yes," Kodachi mused as she gave the other girl a speculative study, "About you and me...I suggest we return to my place where we can...discuss the finer details of our singular relationship."

"Relationship?" Akane gulped, "What...?"

"Beginning with what you owe me for our first rather...singular encounter," Kodachi said with an arched tone in her aristocratic voice, "You remember the occasion...the one where you tied me down and raped me?"

"I didn't rape you, 'Dachi!" Akane protested, the paused as she saw the droll look the other girl gave her and winced before adding, "Um...well...I didn't think you felt it was like that at the time, so..."

"We will discuss the details," Kodachi declared in tones that brooked no contradiction, "Alone...and you will listen to my side of the matter before offering comment...is that clear enough for you, my iinazuke?"

Akane paled slightly then said, "Um...all right...whatever you say, 'Dachi-ah-  
-I mean...Kuno-san..."

Nabiki favored the dark haired Kuno with a smile and said, "Be gentle with my sister, 'Dachi. I know she's given you cause, but...well, she is still my younger sister."

"You need have no fear on that account, my old friend," Kodachi promised, "I will be as gentle with her as befits the situation."

"I'm dead," Akane murmured to herself faintly.

Trieste gave her youngest student a soft glance before turning to the next subject for scrutiny, "And Hibiki-san?"

The pig-boy could not speak normally in his cursed form, but he managed to respond, "Bwee?"

To the considerable surprise of everyone present the Jedi Knight bowed to the boy and said, "Thank you for saving the life of Kuonji-san. Such a noble deed speaks much for the sort of person you once were before Darth Purge took advantage of your innocence. There is more to you than anyone suspects, I believe, and one day very soon you may even discover the man that you were meant to be. Until then...I wish you well in your struggles."

Ryoga actually blinked at this and managed to say a semi-coherent, "Nwanee?"

"Indeed," elder Cologne spoke up as she glanced towards her own purple haired heir and said, "Shampoo...you performed well during your battle, but...your conduct in other matters does leave me to wonder about...certain matters."

To the surprise of everyone Shampoo winced as if she had been severely criticized and responded, "Great-grandmother...this one...Shampoo...she does not...that is..."

"I expect you to do what is right by our people, my dear," Cologne said, and not too unkindly, "You know what the law requires, I leave it in your hand to work out the details."

Very slowly Shampoo nodded then said, "Hai...it will be as you say...Elder."

Ukyo seemed puzzled about that then said, "What are you two talking about, Sugar? Come clean...you're being a lot more mysterious than usual."

"Oh...is nothing much, Ucchan," Shampoo pretended to study the ceiling before saying, "It is just that...this one has gained herself another sister."

"Another...what?" Ukyo asked, her whiskers twitching as comprehension slowly dawned as to the Amazon's hidden meaning.

"Well, all's well that ends well, I always say," Happosai clapped his hands together, "Now if you cuties are done with all this fussing around, maybe we ought to head on home before somebody asks too many unfortunate questions?"

"Good point," Ranma said as he took notice of the now-empty and evacuated arena, "Guess people took off when Taro went on that rampage...and then the big fight and all that..."

"Yes," Kimiko agreed, giving Shampoo and Ukyo a studied look, "In the meantime...I think you girls ought to change out of that wet clothing before you catch your deaths from pneumonia..."

"Just one moment, Kuonji-san," Senzenen declared as he limped up to join them with a boy whom Ukyo recognized as Miki lending him support, "This match of ours has not properly ended, and though we were interrupted before I could claim the lips of your...of your...of your..."

All at once the boy's jaw fell open, and the other boy, Miki, likewise stared in open amazement. Everyone-including Ukyo-wondered what had caused the suave rake to suddenly stutter like a tongue-tied adolescent, when all at once the young cursed chef became aware that her shirt was entirely open at the front and that a substantial part of her cur-covered body was now exposed to view, leaving no doubt in any eyes as to her actual gender.

"You...you...you're a...a...a..." the boy named Miki hesitated.

"A girl?" Ukyo asked, sudden inspiration overcoming her initial impulse to cover herself up and glare at the two perverts. The memory of what she had seen them doing in the dressing room prompted her to smile and lean forward, purring slightly as she said, "And now that you know the truth about me, do you intend to kiss me, Senzenen-san? I could be your thousand-and-oneth victim..."

Despite his reputation as a "cool-as-ice" lothario, Senzenen actually backed away and gave a startled yelp before turning and skating off as fast as he could upon the obstacle-laden ice arena, the other boy following close beside him.

"What got into those two?" Nabiki asked.

"Some boys are just a bit too shy around forward women, Imoutochan," Kasumi sighed, only to start as she caught the rising panic within her male companion, "Ranma-kun?"

"C-C-C-Caaat!" Ranma jumped to his feet, his expressions belatedly showing his panicked reaction.

"Oh, for heaven's sakes," Akane growled, "Ucchan...you'd better change and cover up or you're gonna scare the baka silly."

"Fine," Ukyo grunted as she tried her best to tie the front part of her shirt together, creating a passable halter (and not incidentally exposing her furry mid-section), "See if I make fun of you when you're in your cursed form, Ranchan..."

"What was that?" Nodoka asked.

"Oh, nothing much, Auntie," Nabiki hastily changed the subject, "By the way...where's the real hero of the hour? That Gosunkuji was really something else..."

"Oh my, yes," Kasumi agreed, "If not for him...well...we never would have survived this."

"Here he is," Genma revealed as he stepped up and displayed the unconscious boy that he was cradling in his arms, "I was thinking of dropping by Tofu-Sensei's place upon the way to have him checked out since he seemed to be suffering a case of considerable exhaustion."

"I'll come with you if it's all the same to you, Sir," Ryonami revealed as she surfaced at the side of the Saotome elder, "I feel...well...obligated and all because I was with him when it happened."

"No need for you to feel guilty, Ryo-chan," Nabiki assured, "But I'm sure Gosunkuji wouldn't mind having a pretty girl smile at him when he recovers."

"Then it's decided," Cologne said as she took the initiative, hopping on her staff while finding patches where the ice was thickest, "And look lively...the way back to the exit is as treacherous as a Sith lord."

"Indeed," Soun remarked as he and the others followed after the ancient Amazon matriarch, "But I marvel that any fool would build an ice-rink over a swimming pool...what could the staff of this place be thinking?"

"Who knows with Kolhotz types, Dad?" Akane answered, "I mean...look what they've got for their idols, a pervert and a klepto."

"Speaking of which," Kimiko remarked, "Whatever became of that other skater...the one with the frilly hair who started this whole matter?"

"Shiratori Azusa?" Nabiki shrugged, "Who knows with that one, Momma...she's scatter brained and flat-out crazy..."

EPILOGUE:

"Here you go, Jeanette," Azusa said as she carefully placed the lightsaber on a pillow and placed a glass covering over that, "Now you have a home with all of Azusa's pretty things, and you can be friends with all of Azusa's friends, isn't that nice?"

The younger half of the infamous "golden pair" smiled happily as she turned and surveyed the whole of her collection, then turned to a pair of larger occupants that held a special place near the very center, both of them consisting of massive blocks of ice preserved by special refrigerating equipment, and each block occupied by a single shape that-to another party-would have been thought singularly horrific, but which Azusa considered "cute" after a fashion.

"Adolph," she said to the one frozen figure, then to the larger of the pair she added, "Thomas...how nice of you to join Azusa in her room. I hope you both enjoy your new home because we're going to be the best of friends, Azusa just knows that."

Darth Purge said nothing, neither did Pantsaru Taro, but had either one been in a state to offer an opinion about their current situation one might be assured that it would be loud and highly negative. As it was they were like statues frozen in amber, and would remain that way so long as the charge on the refrigeration units beneath them continue to function.

Azusa went through her nightly ritual of saying good-night to all of her belongings, including the ribbon, fan and pins acquired from Kodachi, then she said good-night to "Adolph" and "Thomas" before turning in for the night, sleeping the sleep of the utterly clueless and completely unaware of the fact that a reptilian eyebrow was twitching slightly...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Storage Facilities For Frozen Lizards: shadowmane

The Tendo Clan takes stock of the aftermath of their near-disastrous encounters with the Sith while Akane and Kodachi "work out the details" of their own peculiar relationship, and Gosunkuji awakes to an unexpected hero's welcome. And what of Ranma and his iinazuke? Is domestic bliss in the offing...or will unexplored issues continue to shadow their immediate future? For this and other wrap-up comments, stay tuned for, "Harmony In Shadow," or, "Light My Fire, Mistress!" Be there!

X 


	38. Chapter 38

JediKasumi38

Jedi Kasumi

By Jim Robert Bader

Featuring characters and situations created by George Lucas and Rumiko Takahashi. This is purely a work of fiction and is not intended to compromise the copyrights of any other creative persons. I have nothing worth suing me for, so please be gentle...)

HENTAI ALERT-THIS CHAPTER RATED MAGENTA FOR STRONG NAUGHTINESS AND SOME SUGGESTED SEXUAL CONTENT.  
CAUTION ADVISED AROUND SMALL CHILDREN AND FURRY RODENTS, THE LATTER BECAUSE IT'S KINKY, AND THE FORMER-WELL, I'M NOT INTO THAT THING, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO ANY TROUBLE FOR SUGGESTING THAT PROMISCUITY BETWEEN CONSENTING TEENAGERS IS ACCEPTABLE CONDUCT,  
EVEN IF I PERSONALLY BELIEVE IT.  
YOU HAVE BEEN DULY WARNED...

Episode Thirty-Eight:

A Hope Rekindled

Following their victory over the Sith Lord,  
Darth Purge, the Tendo and Saotome Clan return home to celebrate the joys of their survival,  
even knowing that Purge and his minion,  
Pantsaru Taro, are only temporarily defeated,  
not permanently vanquished...

It is a Victory that comes with many a lasting implication,  
not least for Kuonji Ukyo,  
who has grown closer to her skating partner (and former rival in the Jedi/Sith feud) Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku; and for Akane Tendo, who has made similar connections with her sometime reluctant iinazuke, Kodachi Kuno...

As for the three-way engagement of Ranma Saotome to the other Tendo sisters,  
Kasumi and Nabiki, that seems to be on even firmer footing than before, but is all truly paradise for these young students of the Jedi Mistress, Trieste,  
and what are the implications for yet another young apprentice whose nascent Jedi powers have prevented the tragedy of Trieste's death at the hands of the dreaded Sith Lord, to say nothing of securing a brighter future for the rest of Clan Tendo...?

Gosunkuji awoke to the feeling of a bed that was definitely not his own, being somewhat firmer than the lumpy mattress that had been in his parents' place, or the bad smelling bedroll that his Yakuza boss had considered luxurious fare for the young clairvoyant. Indeed, the smell of incense caused him to blink his eyes open, finding that he was in some manner of a medical office, one that had the furnishings of a typical clinic save for the Shiatsu chart that hung in one corner, and the odd array of rare ingredients on display in container jars that lined one wall, as though belonging to a traditionalist apothecary rather than a practitioner of Western medicine. Another blink of his eyes and he saw the doctor himself, who was dressed not in the usual style of doctor's lab coat but rather had on a plain brown gi loosely tied with a cotton belt around the middle.

The doctor himself was rather handsome, possibly late twenties or early thirties, and he had on a pair of prescription glasses that gave him a somewhat distinguished air. He seemed to have a pleasantly friendly and outgoing disposition as he smiled at Gosunkuji and said, "Well now...how is our young hero? Feeling better, I hope. I'd heard you had a very active day, and I think you should be taking it easy for a while until you've fully adjusted."

"Uh...who...?" Gosunkuji left the question uncompleted, feeling a strange sense of unearthliness as he stared at the man and seemed to see an outline that was almost like a shadow yet appeared more like an aura.

"Don't you remember me? We met the other day. My name is Ono Tofu-Sensei," the brown haired man with the pony tail replied, "I'm a licensed doctor and practitioner of Shiatsu, and you, they tell me, are one Gosunkuji Hikaru, a student of the Tendo dojo, if I am not too mistaken."

"Oh," Gosunkuji said, then blinked again before asking, "They?"

"Meaning we," said the serenely tempered voice of Gosunkuji's new sensei, lady Trieste, who appeared right then from around one of the mobile canvas partitions, "Forgive us, Doctor, but we wanted to check upon young Master Gosunkuji's condition. I, for one, owe this young man a deep and abiding favor for which I can probably never fully repay, though he has confirmed to me his worthiness as one of the latest of my students."

"I am?" Gosunkuji blinked, wondering why his mind seemed so sluggish all of a sudden...and why there was an even more brilliant halo-effect surrounding his Sensei, giving him the distinct impression that he could see much more of her than was usually apparent upon the surface.

"No need to be modest, Gosunkuji-san," another attractive older woman (who Gosunkuji belatedly recognized as Kimiko Tendo, the mother of the three Tendo sisters), "We all owe you our lives, and a debt of gratitude for doing what you did back there in the arena. It is no understatement to say that you single handedly averted a great tragedy and allowed us to claim victory over our enemies, the Sith, for which we would honor you as a worthy student of our dojo."

"Yes indeed," said Soun Tendo himself as the patriarch of the Tendo clan emerged from behind his two women, "Although I can't say that I fully understand what happened back there, I know that it was your intervention that insured all of our survival. Just name your price, Boy, and I'll see to it that you are well and properly rewarded."

"Father," Kasumi Tendo gently chided, then with great serenity the oldest of the Tendo sisters appeared with her middle sister, Nabiki, and Ranma-their mutual fianc -in tow as though the three of them were attached to one another by invisible tethers, "You did very well out there, Gosunkuji-kun, and we're all very proud of you for acting when you did to reverse the outcome of what was certainly a very horrible encounter."

"Yeah," Nabiki nodded, "You're okay in my book, Guy, and if anybody says different, then they'd better come to me first and say it."

"But...what did I...?" Gosunkuji began to ask when the memory came back with a suddenness that almost blinded him, causing a momentary dizziness and a throbbing at the temples until the flood of images finally receded. Even so he had only the vaguest impression of having reached out to touch the very fabric of reality itself, and in some strange manner he had channeled a power through himself that had allowed him to reverse the very flow of time, causing a the hideous image of the lizard-creature killing Trieste and the Tendos to be undone, the course of the future thus being righted.

"Take it easy, young apprentice," Trieste urged, "Do not force the memories...allow them to come to you gradually and in stages. You will understand them in time, but do not attempt anything as strenuous as that again without further training."

"Ugh...yeah...probably a very good idea," Gosunkuji agreed as he winced and took deep breaths in the manner in which he had been taught the other day, then all at once he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up in surprise to see Ranma leaning over him to offer his reassurance.

"Just take it one day at a time, like Pop always says," the handsome young martial artist spoke encouragingly and even gave a comradely smile before adding, "I ain't sure what and how you did that back there, but I owe you one big time. If not for you...well...I ain't never wanna go there again. Just rest up and get better, and maybe I'll teach you some moves that'll put some muscle on those skinny arms of yours. Least I can do for a real hero."

"A real...what?" Gosunkuji blinked, amazed that someone as formidable as Ranma could be speaking to him like that, or that he genuinely seemed to mean what he was saying, "A hero? Me?"

"Well, you sure fit the part as far as any of us are concerned, Gos-kun," Nabiki gave him a sardonic grin that was far more friendly than what she often turned on people with whom she was only casually acquainted. In fact...the way she looked at him almost made him feel as though she were regarding him as a...brother, "In fact, I know someone else who's been mighty anxious to talk to you. No sense being shy now, Ryo-chan. I'm sure Hikaru already knows you're here."

Gosunkuji's eyes were already moving before he had willed them to do so, and to his increasing surprise he saw the pretty girl from before leaning over him and giving him a smile that...made him feel real funny in his stomach, like he was coming down with a flu or something, even though he raptly committed her features to memory and started wondering if her measurements were being accurately hinted at by the contours of the dress that she was wearing.

"Gosunkuji-kun," Ryonami began as if in relief, "Thank the kami you're all right...you had us all so worried about you, the way you passed out back there. I certainly hope that you're feeling much better?"

There was no accurate way that Gosunkuji could answer that question, his nervous system tied up as it was with conflicting electrical impulses. Somehow he instantly knew that this girl would be very, very important to him in the extremely near future, and that she was somehow bound to him by the red cord of destiny, even as his eardrums were pounding like a set of kettle drums, and there was a tightening in his chest that seemed to threaten to crush his very breathing, even as his heart seemed ready to burst forth from the constraints of his ribcage...

"Easy there, Ryo-chan," Nabiki urged, "Don't get the boy too excited all at once. He's had a busy day, and I think he's entitled to take things nice and slow at the moment."

"Eh?" Ryonami seemed genuinely confused by her Sempai's statement, but when she glanced at Gosunkuji again she saw a trickle of blood flowing from one nostril and said, "You're bleeding? Oh my! Doctor, hand me a Kleenex!"

"Oh my, now I wonder why that happened?" Doctor Tofu calmly marveled, only to accept the tissues that someone handed him, at which he said, "Oh, thank you very much, Xian-Pu-san. Here, let's dab that up then I'll look you over to see if you might be suffering from higher than normal blood pressure."

Gosunkuji traced the source of the tissues that were presently cleaning up his nostrils and saw an extremely pretty girl standing off to one side who had long purple hair and was standing next to the pony tailed chef named Ukyo Kuonji. To the young man's amazement he caught the shy, almost girlish way in which the purple haired Shampoo was regarding the doctor, and the frown that creased Kuonji's otherwise beautiful features, and he had a curious sense that there was some sort of rivalry in the offing here...though its exact nature was somewhat difficult for him to fully comprehend.

Instead he was startled to hear another voice echoing from somewhat nearer to the floor, "It would be a very good thing if you study the boy's physiology in somewhat more detail since it is clear that he possesses a very rare and powerful talent that must needs special training to be properly harnessed."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "You sensed what Hikaru-kun did for us back at Kolhotz?"

"Adopted daughter of my hearth," said an extremely wizened old woman with much gravity in her tone and appearance, "I dare say that every sensitive within a hundred leagues of Nerima had a sense of what young Gosunkuji-san did. Indeed, had he sent up flares and rockets he could not have been more obvious, and it is a very rare and special individual who possesses the power of total reality inversion. Temporal looping causes a great strain upon the very fabric of reality itself, and even gods know better than to use this ability in a casual way, though the circumstances this time would seem to have warranted his making the effort."

"Yes indeed," Trieste nodded, "But even so, I think it would be best if you wait a while before attempting anything that spectacular, at last until you are further along in your training."

"Uh...sure, I mean-hai, Sensei," Gosunkuji replied, grateful that the pounding in his temples appeared to have stopped for the moment, though-curiously-his strange sense of detachment remained, as though he could see not only the people in the room surrounding him but also make out the powerful energy signatures that each of them was radiating.

More to the point, however...he felt as though he could see these people bi-focally, as though two layers of reality were superimposed upon one another. On the one hand he saw the normal, solid, stable world surrounding them that was comfortable and familiar...yet somehow less inviting. On the other hand he could perceive a mobile shadow that felt like a potential reality in the making, as if he were peering past the veil of time and could see possible futures opening up for each and every individual, and as he scanned them one by one his eyes got very wide indeed with the implied revelations...

"Is something wrong, Hikaru-san?" Ryonami asked, leaning over him in a way that once again forced him to focus his eyes upon her stunning features.

"Ah..." Hikaru was almost blinded by what he saw and had to swallow thickly before answering, "Sure...I think so, Ryo-domo..."

Ryonami reacted with mild surprise and said, "What did you just call me?"

"Ah...come again?" Gosunkuji asked, then mentally kicked himself for the unintended images that his question brought forth to the surface.

Kimiko just smiled then turned to her family and said, "I believe we have taxed young Gosunkuji enough with our visit for one day. If he is well enough to travel, then I suggest we all retire for the day and allow matters to sort themselves out."

"There speaks the voice of wisdom indeed," Trieste noted sagely, then signaled to the others to follow her towards the exit, pausing only to add, "Oh, and Ryo-chan, if you would be so kind as to escort Gosunkuji-san back to his house and make sure he gets there without further mishap?"

"Oh, but it would be my honor, Sensei," Ryonami replied with a bit more eagerness than anyone (save only Nabiki, Kimiko and Trieste) had expected.

"Good," Soun clapped his hands together and said, "Then what say we prepare a victory feast for the conquering heroes? Kuonji-san, Shampoo, if you would allow us to honor you..."

"Father," Kasumi softly chided him, and it was as though Gosunkuji could read her thoughts for he sensed that the real cause for the Tendo patriarch's suggestion was the hope of an excuse for a feast, to be prepared by some of the best chefs in all of Nerima, not least of whom numbered his wife and eldest daughter.

"Um...thanks, Mr. Tendo," Ukyo replied, "We appreciate that and all, but..."

"Ucchan and this one have...other plans for evening, honorable father to my oath sisters," Shampoo bowed, pausing to add, "If is okay with you, Great-grandmother?"

"I've all but given up trying to control your destiny and actions, child," Cologne replied, "Do as you must, but...practice some discretion."

All at once-yet only for a moment-Gosunkuji saw the old woman's outline and was startled to see another woman towering over the incredibly ancient matron...a younger woman with dark blue hair who nonetheless bore a striking resemblance to the Amazon matriarch and even wore the same peculiar outfit.

But then the image was gone, leaving him to wonder what it signified, and why he had this peculiar sense that the wizened old lady was far more than she appeared upon the surface...?

"Hai, Elder," Shampoo bowed, then she took Ukyo by the arm and said, "Is okay we go now?"

"Uh...sure, anything you say, Sugar," Ukyo took the Amazon's hand and allowed herself to be lead out from the clinic, only Gosunkuji sensed the urgency of their departure and wondered at what could be the reason since he felt a strong yearning that was exciting the nerve endings of both of the young women...

"By the way," Soun added as he and the others began to file out from the clinic, "Where is Akane and...um...her fianc e? I thought they were accompanying us here to the clinic."

"Oh, they took off, Daddy," Nabiki explained, "'Dachi said something about working out some issues together, whatever that means for her and Akane."

For some strange reason Gosunkuji felt a slight shudder upon hearing this, and he wondered what could be causing such a feeling when he turned his mind towards the youngest Tendo sibling...

"But 'Dashi...I thought we were going to talk!"

"So talk, Tendo-san," Kodachi coolly noted as she surveyed her reluctant iinazuke with a critical eye, studying her prone and naked body for the littlest detail, "I have not yet seen fit to gag you."

Akane was sweating as she lay flat upon a padded table facing upward, her hands and feet bound by ropes to the table legs leaving her vulnerable without the least stitch of clothing. It was not so much her condition that unsettled her, however, but rather the look that was upon Kodachi's face as she surveyed her handiwork and nodded in not-so-silent approval.

"Ah..." Akane wondered where to begin so just blurted out what came to mind, "When I agreed to come back with you to the mansion...I was kind of thinking that maybe we could work something out between us, you know? I mean...like what happened back there on the ice rink..."

"But that is what we are doing, Akane-san," Kodachi said almost reasonably, "We are working things out...exactly as engaged people do with their fianc es."

"Ah..." Akane swallowed, wondering exactly what Kodachi's idea of "working things out" entailed, and deciding that she was hardly ready for a direct answer.

"Although...I must confess that the irony of this situation is hardly missed upon me," Kodachi added, looking not at Akane's face but rather the rest of her taut body, "After all, it was not so long ago when you had me at your mercy and proceeded to take advantage of my condition, an act that led to our foolish fathers deciding to engage us. At first I thought this was some perverse idea of a joke that they had cooked up between them...but...after some due consideration of the issues...I have concluded that they were not quite so foolish after all..."

"Say what?" Akane blurted out.

"After all," Kodachi added as she leaned closer to her helpless fianc e, "As you demonstrated so ably today, there is a kind of...connection that is binding us to one another...and was not the main reason why you accepted my invitation that you were looking to get inside my pants as a victory consolation?"

"Ah...well..." Akane winced, privately conceding that she had been thinking along those lines...even if admitting it now was bound to get her even deeper into trouble.

"I thought as much," Kodachi nodded serenely, "So...I will confess in exchange that I do feel a kind of...attraction towards you that is wholly inexplicable, being that you are a lowly peasant without a sense of proper social manners, and thus well below my own station. Also too, there is the fact that you forcibly seduced me and took advantage of my helpless status to have your lustful way with me while I was the one strapped down upon your bed."

"But that was after you came into my room and attacked me in the middle of the night!" Akane protested.

"I will not debate the circumstances under which it happened," Kodachi informed her, "However...no matter the justification in your mind, what you did to me was wrong and thoughtless, and in no way is such a thing sanctioned by my own transgressions. Truth to tell, however, what you did to me opened my mind to possibilities that I never before would have considered, so in that respect I do owe you something of a favor. If not for you...well, I would never have known the joys of being intimate with another woman, nor would I have learned how to take advan-um-I mean...how to counsel my fellow students in the gymnastics club to bring out from them a...how shall we say...a winning performance? So...for that alone I must offer you my thank-yous..."

"Thank yous?" Akane all but squealed as she saw Kodachi produce a riding crop, the kind normally employed by polo pony players.

"Yes," Kodachi purred as she tapped the crop across Akane's bosom in an instructive way that drew the helpless girl's full and undivided attention, "And now that we have this opportunity to discuss matters like consenting adults, I feel that a few ground rules must be established, number one being-of course-that if you address me in public it will not be as Kodachi or even 'Kuno-san,' but rather you will refer to me as Kodachi-SAMA. Am I making myself very clear upon this point?"

Again Kodachi tapped the crop across Akane's nipples, and at once the other girl yelped and replied, "Yes...I get the point already, 'Dachi...!"

This time Kodachi deliberately rapped the crop hard across the other girl's breasts and elicited a yelp that came from mingled pain and arousal.

"To whom are you referring again?" Kodachi asked with deceptive patience in her tone, expression and manner, "Kodachi...?"

"San-no, Sama-OUCH!" Akane winced as another quick flick of the crop brought a pinkish stripe across both of her stiffening nipples.

"Try again," Kodachi urged, "We have all the time in the world to get settled upon this first and primary issue."

"Kodachi-sama," Akane managed to get out between gasps, then she sighed as she felt soft fingers fondle one of her throbbing breasts with a light pinching of a nipple, which brought out a different sort of gasp from the amazed and helpless Force Mistress.

"There now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Kodachi asked as she fondled the other breast, encouraged by the look of silent approval that was written plain on Akane's features, "Second rule...and this is one that I cannot stress enough, my dear iinazuke, that being that anyone closely associated with me must be mindful of the image which they present. After all, I have my reputation to think about and it would hardly do to be engaged to a selfish boor who lacks for education, refinement and proper manners. We will have to work to instill within you a proper sense of etiquette, to say nothing of improving that deplorably vulgar mode of speech which you employ while in public."

"What's wrong with the way I talk-OW! I mean...Kodachi-sama?" Akane gasped, hoping to mollify the deranged gymnast while she attempted to work herself free from her restraints.

"We will get to that in due time, my dear," Kodachi purred, "But another aspect of the appearance which you present before others will, quite naturally, include the abandonment of certain practices which you currently pursue that might well tarnish my reputation. I am referring, you see, to your tendency to pursue relationships with other women, whether or not such pursuits include me in your lustful endeavors. This will stop immediately, and I cannot stress this point too firmly: You are my fianc e and mine alone, and for good or ill this ties the both of us together, and I will not have my fianc e running around behind my back chasing other women."

"But Koda-Kodachi-sama," Akane hastily amended as she saw the crop rising again in an ominous manner, "I thought...well...I mean...I like you and all, but..."

"But you still intend to pursue a relationship with Kuonji Ukyo, do you not?" Kodachi asked, "Fair enough, I will make her and her...paramour, the Amazon, the sole exceptions to my edict...but only under one condition...the third stipulation that I will insist upon if our relationship is to continue."

"Relationship?" Akane bit her lip then added, "Um...what do you have in mind, Kodachi-sama?"

"That if you do anything with either of those two, then I insist on being included in the bargain," Kodachi purred once again, sounding even more predatory than before, "Either we do it together...or I will be allowed to take my own...satisfaction, provided that Kuonji and Shampoo-san are agreeable about sharing."

Akane actually blinked at this, then considered the matter seriously before answering, "Um...I suppose...that is, I don't see anything wrong with the idea...I mean, the four of us...well, I guess that does depend on how Ucchan and Shampoo feel about you..."

"That is fair enough for now," Kodachi said in a more conciliatory manner, "Now...given the three stipulations which I have just made, do you find them agreeable? If not, then speak now and we can end this relationship before matters proceed any further."

"Are you serious?" Akane blinked, "You mean...I get to choose...one way or the other?"

"I am quite serious," Kodachi assured her, "If you wish to remain with me as my fianc e, then I will need the security of knowing that you really and truly do care enough about me to commit yourself to being my companion. If not, then I will let you go, no questions asked nor recriminations against your honor. But say the word and you are free to leave my chambers...but with the stipulation that we will never be anything but casual acquaintances in the future, and no more talk about engagements by our fathers."

Akane seriously considered the issue, but then she bit her lower lip and really studied the beautiful girl in the skimpy leather leotard who was leaning over her with a curious degree of speculation evident within her violet eyes as she regarded Akane carefully as though waiting to hear her answer. All at once Akane felt extremely attracted to Kodachi and found her interest level curiously excited by the hint of menace that the dark haired girl faintly radiated. Though Akane would never have imagined herself to be the type to go in for butch women, and though she was hardly a submissive type by nature, still...she had to concede that there was something about this aggressive side to the gymnast that she found curiously intriguing...

"Um...does this mean the engagement's still on?" Akane asked.

"For as long as we both agree to let it be so," Kodachi answered, arching an eyebrow before adding, "By this comment do I take it, then, that you are agreeing to the terms which I have just set?"

"Um...well...it seems...reasonable enough," Akane attempted to shrug her shoulders but gave up after a few seconds, "I mean...you want me to be faithful to you and call you Sama, right? But...there's still the possibility of Ukyo and Shampoo, and...I gotta tell you, 'Dachi, those two are worth a compromise. But, um...will you let me up from here if I agree to go along with this?"

"No," Kodachi openly leered, "Because now that you have agreed to my terms, I feel compelled to stress their importance upon you by-shall we say-some creative reinforcement? And besides...you did not call me Kodachi-sama."

Akane yelped even before she saw the crop rising up to strike her, and in that moment the young Force Adept realized that she might well have bitten off more than she would be able to chew with the gymnast, yet...in the strangest way, she found herself warming up to Kodachi in spite of the pain being inflicted, realizing that it would be worth a little inconvenience if she could make the dark haired aristocrat feel a similar thrill by the act of vigorous lovemaking...and she just as suddenly knew that with Kodachi it would be more than a physical thing for already they were starting to form a tentative connection, one that had a great deal of promise for the future...

Provided that Akane could sweat it out for the next couple of hours since her iinazuke would be putting her through some interesting paces...

Ukyo glanced up in surprise as she saw the figure who had appeared at the front of the restaurant. The okonomiyaki chef found herself smiling in an easy and quite affable manner, not at all like the scowls and glares she would normally turn upon others, her spirits these days being much lightened by the changes in her current outlook and lifestyle.

"Ranchan," she said, "To what do we owe the pleasure, Sugar?"

"Uh...hi, Ucchan," Ranma said as he sat down on a stool facing the front counter, "Got a minute for me? That is...if you ain't too busy..."

"To busy for an old school chum?" Ukyo asked, then grinned as she saw him arch an eyebrow, "Relax, Saotome...I'm well over the past by now. Fact is, I'm doing my level best to live in the moment, just like you Jedi always saw we ought to do, and letting the Force be my guide as well as my ally."

"Oh," Ranma said, "Um...good. Look, I know it's a lot to ask of you, what with everything that's gone down and all that, but...think I could get some advise...for old times sake?"

Ukyo did not normally arch an eyebrow, but this time she did and gave Ranma a curious study, "It's about your girlfriends, ain't it, Sugar?"

Ranma looked startled, "How did you know?"

"Because you've got the worst poker face of anyone I've ever met," Ukyo replied, only to grin as she added, "Remember that guy we met at the carny ten years back? The one who tried to cheat me out of my Dad's yatai? The Gambler something...?"

"Him?" Ranma blinked, "What about him?"

"Nothing," Ukyo sniffed, "I was just remembering that time how you got all upset over the way I was crying and carrying on like a baby, and you went to challenge the Gambler Fink on my behalf, only you wound up losing hand after hand, so the two of us got fed up and..."

"We tied the guy up and dumped him into a stream," Ranma finished with a grin, "Y'know, I'd almost forgotten that, and how we found all those cards up his sleeve, which meant that he was deliberately cheating us..."

"So he got what he deserved in the end," Ukyo concluded, "But the point is, Sugar...you stood up for me...like a real friend, and I kind of got a crush on you over that..."

"Really?" Ranma asked with another raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, but that was just a schoolgirl thing," Ukyo waved the point aside, "I took it to mean something else, but...you were a friend to me then, so...how can I be a friend to you right now, Ranchan?"

"I just...well..." Ranma glanced down and was suddenly all nerves once again, "Nabiki and Kasumi...after what happened the other day...it made me realize something...that I'm a really lucky guy to have 'em for my fianc es."

"You can say that again, Sugar," Ukyo chuckled, "Most guys would be lucky to have only one of them eager to marry him, but you get the package deal...so what's the problem? Getting cold feet about a possible double-marriage?"

"Um...maybe," Ranma said in a small voice, only to rally abruptly as he tried to make himself sound more assertive, "I mean...well, sure. It's not like it counts as legal if I make both of them my wives, but...we've agreed to treat us like a family group thing and all that, so...yeah, I know I've got a good thing going here. It's just..."

"You're worried that you're not really ready to commit yet, huh?" Ukyo surmised, "The idea of settling down an being a husband to two girls is making you feel like taking a page from your old man and going on an extended training mission. How's that for a guess, huh?"

"Ah...you just read my mind is all," Ranma's shoulders slumped, "It ain't fair, I tell you, that you guys can tell what I'm thinking but I ain't got a clue no way..."

"Jackass," Ukyo playfully chided, "No girl could ever figure out how a guy's mind works, and you can take my word on that. Same thing applies in reverse, though...girls are just too complex for guys to figure out, and me? I'm kind of stuck in the middle...too much of a guy for most girls, but too much of a girl to ever really play the boy part in a 100% convincing manner."

"Aw, c'mon," Ranma chided, "You know you're as much of a woman as any girl, Ucchan."

"Flatterer," Ukyo eyed him slyly, "And what would you say if you compared me with your Kasumi, or even Nabiki?"

"Ah...?" Ranma's brain suddenly slammed into neutral, which prompted Ukyo to bust out laughing at his comical expression.

"Did little brother say something to amuse you, Ucchan?" a voice asked from the back of the restaurant, prompting Ranma to turn around in time to see Shampoo descending from the stairs with a bemused expression upon her exotically beautiful features.

"Oh, Ranchan was just stopping by to ask a question, that's all, Sham-chan," Ukyo responded, "Seems he wants some advise from me about his relationship with the Tendo sisters."

"Big Sister Kasumi and clever Nabiki-san?" Shampoo asked, then favored Ranma with an indulgent smile and said, "Little brother...is no big mystery what you do with girl you like. Is only matter of timing and when mood is right, then...act on feelings, no think it out, just do what feelings tell you."

"Easy for you to say, Sham-chan," Ranma shrugged, "You always act on your feelings, it ain't as hard for you to show 'em to others."

"Little brother," Shampoo smiled as she came over to hug him affectionately, yet with no indication of any deeper intent than to offer reassurance, "Always so shy. You is afraid to be natural, to say what you feel because stupid father always tell you is no manly. You grow up thinking being man is about hiding you feelings from others, that being honest with you self is like being woman, but always you say thing with no thinking that opposite of what you know you want say. So how is that wisdom? Is better than when you is woman you self and no have excuse of be manly?"

And without missing a beat the young Force Adept mentally lifted a glass from a shelf and filled it with tap water, then carried it directly over Ranma's head before spilling its contents. As the sex-changed Saotome sputtered indignantly in surprise Ukyo lost her grip over her own emotions and laughed aloud at his discomfort, though without the sort of malice that once she would have taken in seeing her former iinazuke's displeasure.

"Hey!" Ranma turned a wounded look her way, "Whose side are you on here?"

"Face it, Ranchan," Ukyo said between chuckles, "She set you up good for that one, and you never even felt it coming."

"This one is sorry if you angry, little brother," Shampoo gave him a teasing look that was only half that of contrition, "But now you is woman, so you no have to hide feelings. You like big sister Kasumi and Nabiki, so what is problem?"

"That's not the point!" Ranma-chan insisted, "I'm a guy in here...no matter what I look like on the outside!"

"Yes?" Shampoo asked meaningfully, her reddish-brown eyes giving him an encouraging look as she added, "Is no important?"

"It is to me," Ranma-chan assured them, "I know what I am...even if this weird body of mine..."

"Is still same person?" Shampoo asked as she saw comprehension begin to dawn in the eyes of her "little sister," then continued, "You is still Ranma?"

"Of course," Ranma-chan blinked, "I am who I think I am..."

"Uhuh," Ukyo grinned, "So, what does it matter if you turn into a girl, Ranchan? I turn into a humanoid cat-girl, so at least you can pass for normal."

"Is most important lesson you can ever know, little sister," Shampoo smiled knowingly at the redhead then added, "You is you self and no one other. When you know who you are, then everything else is second to importance."

"Yeah...I think I get that," Ranma-chan said thoughtfully, "So...even if I change...um, but...that's kind of why I'm here..."

"So, you're finally going to get to the point, huh?" Ukyo leaned forward across the counter, "Just what was it you wanted to ask me, Ranchan?"

"Um...well," Ranma-chan turned back to regard the chef then said, "You may not know it, but...at first...Nabiki wasn't exactly keen on the idea of being part of a three-way deal, especially since it meant sharing me with her older sister. But...well...Kasumi can be pretty persuasive when she wants to be..."

"This one well knows this," Shampoo nodded sagely, earning a glance from Ukyo that was both knowing and speculative.

"Well..." Ranma-chan sighed, "After the match, after we chased off that creep, Purge, the three of us went home and had a...pretty long talk about it, and we decided to see if we could make it work, and then...well...it was Nabiki who approached Kasumi about it, and I was kind of watching on the sidelines when they...um...well...went beyond talking..."

"No kidding?" Ukyo evidenced mild surprise, "You mean she really did it...with her own sister?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred softly, "But maybe this one wonder why it take so long. So, little sister...did you enjoy it?"

"Huh?" Ranma-chan blinked, then hunched her shoulders a bit defensively and said, "Um...well, maybe...I mean...I did kinda think it was...pretty interesting..."

"I'll bet," Ukyo snorted, "And just how long did it take for the both of them to drag you into the middle of the action?"

"Ah...not long," Ranma-chan coughed to clear her throat then said, "And that's why I wanted to ask you, Ucchan...is it normal for a guy...I mean, for me...to actually go in for something like that? I mean...what's it like to really, really want to be in the middle of the...action?"

"Aiyaa, now Shampoo is very jealous," Shampoo remarked, her expression suggesting strongly that she was trying to mentally picture what it would have been like to be a bug on a wall during the action.

"Down girl," Ukyo chided, then turned back to Ranma and asked, "Ranchan, I'm far from being the kind of girl who can explain what normal is, but it's perfectly natural if you get hot and horny from seeing your girlfriends getting some action on the sly. I'd only be worried if they were doing it behind your back or without your knowledge, as in if they were trying to cut you out of the picture. Since that hardly sounds like the Tendo girls you're seeing, I'd say your best bet would be to confront them directly and tell them exactly how you feel, then see what they have to say about it. Who knows, their response might even surprise you."

"And in very good way, yes?" Shampoo added sweetly, giving Ranma another one-armed hug before ruffling his hair, then leaving his side to saunter around the counter and slink up beside Ukyo, who turned to greet her new business "partner."

"Maybe we show little brother is good for womans to share affection?" the Amazon purred with sultry intention smoldering in her reddish brown eyes, which same were turned fully upon Kuonji.

Ukyo smiled at this and said, "Hey, we don't want to give the poor guy a heart attack, right?"

"Um..." Ranma-chan squirmed a bit then said, "Maybe I should leave you two alone..."

"Is good idea, Ranma-kun," Shampoo gave him a sidelong smirk, "But no have to go unless you have other...busy-ness?"

"Stay a moment, Ranchan," Ukyo urged as she raised a hand and caused a tea-kettle to lift off a burner and float in his direction, "I got a few things I've been wanting to say...and do you think you could fetch more batter mix from the back room, Sugar?"

"Is possible...if you make work this one's while," Shampoo purred affectionately before leaving the side of the chef, earning a playful swat on her rear by a mischievous Ukyo even as the teakettle dumped its contents over Ranma.

"Urk!" the now-male Saotome winced, "Not so hot next time!"

"Sorry," Ukyo replied, waiting until Shampoo was out of earshot before saying, "She really is a flirt, but you've gotta hand it to Sham-chan, she really knows how to get a rise out of most people."

"Um...yeah," Ranma squirmed a bit on his stool before leaning forward and adding, "Don't tell her I said this, but...well...there are times when she can be awfully cute...but...I've got enough on my plate as it is, and while I know she don't mean nothing by it..."

"I know exactly what you mean, Ranchan," Ukyo nodded sagely, "It's not the same with a girl as it must be for you...the erection part, that is. Um...well, I wouldn't know about that anyway, not unless I take up the old woman's offer and use some of that instant gender-reversing powder that she's been urging me to experiment with..."

"Oh, that stuff?" Ranma said uncomfortably, "Instant Nanniichuan...only works once, or so I've heard tell. It's use is restricted by the Amazon council, but the Jusenkyo Imports guys don't answer to them, so..."

"Right," Ukyo nodded, impressed as always at her former iinazuke's extensive knowledge of the Nyanchiczu people. Being adopted into Shampoo's tribe certainly gave the boy a leg up, for which fact Ukyo was starting to feel envy.

Ranma puzzled a bit before asking, "Why would you want to use cursed water to turn yourself into a guy, Ucchan?"

"Ah...well..." Ukyo winced, "It's the old woman and what she's been going on about...how one condition she set before allowing Shampoo to come to Japan was that Sham-chan had to promise to...um...'do her duty' to her clan by having...um...a baby before she turns twenty..."

"A baby?" Ranma blinked, then saw the look in Ukyo's deep blue eyes and felt his own eyebrows climb appropriately, "Oh?"

"Yeah," Ukyo said tersely, "And...strange as it may sound...I'm actually considering it, but we may not have to go that far if we could find a guy who might be willing to help one or both of us get pregnant."

"Um..." Ranma squirmed more visibly, "I don't think I could help you there...er...not that I ain't flattered, but..."

"Not you, Jackass," Ukyo chuckled, then sobered up once again, "There's a lot of stuff the old woman's been pouring into my ears of late. This business about being adopted into Shampoo's tribe as her 'oath-bound sister' sure means some awfully big changes in my life..."

"Could be worse," Ranma pointed out, "The old ghoul might have insisted you fight with her, then have the loser marry the winner."

"What?" Ukyo blinked, "You're kidding."

"Nope," Ranma said, "Same thing almost happened to me, only my fight with Shampoo ended in a draw, so she made me her oath-brother instead when she could have wound up married to me, and who knows what kind of trouble that would have started?"

"But you spent months with the Amazons learning their ways," Ukyo paused before asking, "Is it...common out there...for two girls to get married?"

It was Ranma's turn to smirk, "Remind me to introduce you to a girl named Perfume if we ever wind up in that part of China."

"Okay," Ukyo backed off, "I'll take your word for it that it ain't a good idea until I'm ready."

"Hey, trust the ghoul to steer you right," Ranma assured his childhood buddy, "She may get on your nerves at times but she knows a lot more about the martial arts than anybody else I've ever encountered, Pop included. Of course this Force stuff that you, Shampoo and the Tendos practice..."

"Right," Ukyo smiled, "And I'm already finding out that I'm just a stumbling beginner. I thought I had learned a lot from my Mas...um...from Darth Purge, but it seems that even my Dark side training can't compete with an Amazon Elder, so I'm finding myself having to rely more and more on Sham-chan to be my personal trainer."

"Um...so," Ranma said awkwardly, "Is it working out for you two?"

"So far at least," Ukyo responded, "I'm not sure if it's permanent or not, but Sham-chan takes everything a day at a time and keeps insisting we don't need to hurry about anything, and...well...I'm finding out that she means a lot to me, so...I'm kind of glad I never managed to kill her while I was still evil."

"Me too," Ranma said as he hopped off the bench and turned towards the entrance, "Guess that's what I came to say. Take care of yourselves, Ucchan, and let's always be buddies."

"Catch," Ukyo cheerfully responded, and with a snap of her wrist caused something to whisk off her grill and into the grasp of the startled Saotome.

"Huh?" Ranma said as he glanced down at the freshly made okonomiyaki and he saw written in sauce upon its surface the kanji symbol for "Friendship," which made him turn and look back in her direction.

"Have a good life, my clan brother," Ukyo said with a knowing expression, "And if you ever need to come to me to talk about anything..."

"Deal," Ranma grinned, "And I've got your back if anything happens in the future, Ucchan."

Ukyo waited until he had left the restaurant before murmuring aloud, "Friends forever...Ranchan."

"Little brother make Ukyo feel better?" a familiar voice asked as arms slipped around her waist and a face leaned forward to nuzzle the chef's earlobe.

Ukyo did not even bother to ask how her had snuck up on her like that. Instead she just smiled and said, "Oh yeah...a lot better. In fact I'm starting to remember why I liked him so much when we were little."

"No too much this one hopes," Shampoo purred with a slightly arched quality to her voice, then her warm breath against Ukyo's neck made the chef sigh and lean back into the Amazon's substantial "padding," murmuring faint approval and acceptance that her solitary life was over and that she now had someone else living close to her who made Ukyo glow with the warm envelopment of the Force flowing between them...

Ryoga glanced up as he sensed the mutual arousal of the Chef and Amazon taking place in the room above him. Curiously enough he did not feel anger or resentment towards either party, finding that emotions such as jealousy and envy held no place when it came to Ukyo's closeness to Shampoo. Indeed, what Ryoga felt being around them was more akin to a kind of awe and humility, even as he did feel left out and ignored by their mutual ardor. By rights he should have been depressed, even infuriated at the knowledge that Ukyo shared a bed with another woman...

Only...the fact that Shampoo was a girl kept him from feeling that sort of resentment. The Amazon was a genuinely nice person who had been kind towards Ryoga and had never shown scorn or disdain at his pathetic condition, stuck with a curse that made him useless and ugly. If anything Shampoo had treated him more like a person than even Ukyo, and in a very strange way Ryoga felt gratitude to the purple haired girl for bringing happiness to his fellow former Sith apprentice. Just being in their presence when they glowed like this made him feel enormously honored, feelings that he was certain he would not have felt had it been another man who was his primary rival...

"You are not concentrating, Hibiki-san," Cologne sternly chided him, "How do you expect to master this technique if you allow yourself to be this easily distracted?"

"Sorry," Ryoga turned his focus back towards the large boulder that was swaying before him, trying to recall the words that the old woman had used when describing this aspect of his Force training. According to her every solid object in the world had its own peculiar structure and makeup...and that a mind sufficiently focused could sense the flow of energy patterns and discover a means for disrupting them in such a manner that it would cause the object to explode like a shattered diamond.

Only it was proving difficult and more elusive than he would have imagined, further complicated by the old woman's insistence that he be dangled in the middle of the underground chamber from some ropes that suspended him off the ground, and only his single arm and finger extended for protection when Cologne sent the boulder swinging in his direction. Failure to strike the "Breaking Point" just right would cause him to crash into the thing in a loud and very painful manner, yet still Ryoga persisted in his efforts, convinced that he would master the technique before too long...and then be that much worthier an adversary for going up against Ranma.

"Your rivalry with my adopted nephew is a perfectly healthy outlet for those male aggressions that have long clouded your thinking," Cologne informed him, "But do not permit your feelings to mislead you. I am teaching you to better yourself as a fighter with the knowledge that you will keep Ranma sharp and on his toes, but I do not expect you to actually attempt to kill him."

"I remember our deal, Baba," Ryoga growled softly, "I only want to knock that smug look off his face so he takes me seriously as a fighter, but I'll hold myself back from killing him, if only because I'd rather see him live with the shame of his humiliation."

Cologne hid her smile as she reached out with her staff and lightly "nudged" the boulder to swing back and away from Ryoga, only to come back with greater force as Hibiki tried for the fifty-seventh time to feel his way towards the Breaking Point, and this time he nearly got it, only to miss by a mere centimeter. Cologne winced at the sound of his impacting against the boulder, but then nodded in approval as she saw him shrugging off the blow, his pride and fierce battle instincts causing him to draw upon his inner stamina so that the pain he endured no longer deterred him from making yet another effort.

"Is that the best you can do?" Cologne pretended to be stern, but in reality she was elated with his performance, "Ranma himself endured this test and it only required him a day and a half to get it right..."

"A day and a half?" Ryoga snorted, "I'll do it in half that time, just watch me!"

Again Cologne had to fight to keep the smile off of her wizened old features. These boys were just so competitive, it was childsplay to spur them on to one-upping one another, and in time they both might well grow into competent fighters of legendary status (if she had anything to say about it). She had no doubt that Ryoga would train hard to master every lesson that she could teach him, and over time she hoped to wean him away from his Sith training since the good within him far outweighed the bad, and at heart he was simply a lonely young man in search of a life direction. Purge had taken advantage of his desperate need for a role model...now Cologne would see to it that the damage done would be repaired so that the boy could master his own fate...with a bit of cheerful misdirection.

Now, if only she could think of an Amazon who might be worthy of such a warrior. She smiled as she briefly considered Perfume, then dismissed the notion as not worth the effort. Her adopted great-granddaughter was set and determined in her ways, and a boy was definitely not a part of the picture (similarly the Amazon Matriarch refused to even consider her other great-grandchild, who lived somewhere in exile...after all, there were just some fates you did not inflict on people, no matter what sins in the past that they may have committed).

She tipped the rock back once again then watched in satisfaction as Ryoga came close to the breaking point, his senses flowing with greater precision as the Force flowed within him, allowing him to shrug off yet another collision with even less effort than before, thus impressing the Matriarch with the speed of his adaptation since Ryoga knew that he was close and hardly needed to be told that he was getting closer to succeeding with each and every effort.

(Just you watch, Ukyo,) he silently thought to himself, (I'm going to show you how good I am...I'm going to take every thing the old woman throws at me and improve myself so that I'll be worthy of you...and maybe one day soon you'll even see it without my having to ask you...)

The boy was far too transparent and predictable, Cologne silently noted. His obsession with Kuonji was...troubling at times, yet he seemed to bear no ill will towards Shampoo and hardly considered her a rival...even though her great-granddaughter and their resident ex-Sith Adept were quite brazen at times in displaying their affections.

(Maybe a three-way would work out between them,) the old woman mused in speculation, (It is possible that I won't even have to lift a finger if they figure it out between themselves. Such children they might sire between them...the things that I could teach such offspring...almost I find myself salivating at the prospect. On the other hand...there is one troubling prospect in that Shampoo's affections seem divided between Kuonji and another...)

Like any halfway competent elder, Cologne was keen to sense the moods of her appointed heir and was all too aware that Shampoo was developing a crush upon a man (of all things) by the name of Ono Tofu. In principle she approved of such a possible union...the fellow was certainly handsome enough, and a competent martial artist, and with the skills of a healer who bridged both old and new world techniques...well, any Amazon leader would jump at the chance of including such a one in her gene pool. If only this did not cast troubling questions about the permanency of Shampoo's relationship with Kuonji...and did such a thing portend romantic troubles in the near future?

All at once Ryoga found the breaking point and the boulder exploded, forcing Cologne to recall herself from her deep thoughts about the future as she casually batted away the debris that flew in her direction. Once the dust began to settle she spoke aloud in praise, "Well done, Hibiki-san...you have mastered the Bakusai Tenketsu, and in record time at that. For this I think you have earned a period of rest in which you may recuperate..."

"No," Ryoga said as he studied his own finger, "I need to do it again. I want to make it automatic, second nature, so I don't even have to think about it and the technique just flows from within me. Then...I want to go on to the next lesson..."

Despite herself Cologne's eyebrows rose at that declaration, "Ambitious are we? Are you sure you do not wish to allow your body time to mend from all of the punishment you have taken?"

"It's nothing," Ryoga dismissed his own considerable list of bruises, "I went through worse than this under Purge, and surely you've got tricks up your sleeve that my former Master never envisioned."

Cologne arched one eyebrow this time as she studied the youth before her, then she murmured aloud, "As you wish it, young Master...and may I add that you've got the makings of a poet within you."

"A poet?" Ryoga blinked, "Why would you say that?"

"Something within your soul that peeks out from behind your words suggests to me that you have the potential," Cologne informed him, "The universe is shaped by elemental forces, yet only one with a poet's soul can truly understand their working. That is why Bards were respected and even feared in ancient times...for they understood what others could not perceive, and their insight was an inspiration that shaped the destiny of nations. Besides this, consider the fact that many women love poetry, and if you learn to recite a verse competently..."

"R-Really?" Ryoga asked nervously, then almost automatically he said, "Do you...um...think Ukyo might go in for poetry...?"

"One never knows until one makes the effort," Cologne said enigmatically, this time permitting herself to smile in a crafty, cunning manner, thinking to herself that this was almost too perfect, that the boy's eagerness could be molded into some very interesting shapes, and who knew what this might portend for what was certain to be a very interesting future...?

Ranma heard what sounded like cursing as he ascended the ladder steps leading up to the loft that served as workshop and alternate quarters for Nabiki, and as he cautiously lifted the trap-door to peer into this space he found his tentative fianc e hard at work on another project, one that was causing her some vexation since he could almost feel the way in which she was struggling not to give into her emotions.

"Force take this thing," she grumbled, only to raise her head as though belatedly sensing his presence, then she turned around and her mood instantly went from consternation to elation and she grinned up at him with a cheerful, "Hey Ranchan...what's cooking?"

Ranma was a bit surprised to find splotches of oil and grease were marring Nabiki's lovely features, but it hardly mattered to him since she was beautiful in his eyes anyway, so he smiled back at her and said, "Hey Nab-chan...having problems?"

Nabiki allowed her disgust to show forth as she held up her Jedi naginata in two parts then griped, "Only trying to fit the pieces back together...I've been working to replace the shaft that Purge ruined the other day, but...it's kind of hard to work this with only one set of hands. Um...do you think you could...?"

"Sure, no problem," Ranma said, taking notice of the fact that Nabiki had stripped down to her underwear and was not wearing a bra as she sat cross-legged before her tool chest, and yet for all that the sight of her this naked might once have upset him, now he found himself intrigued by the peep show. Not that anything was likely to come of it at the moment, of course, since the rest of her was smirched with oil and grime, putting a damper on thoughts of what he might want to do with his fianc e besides help her in her repair work.

She turned around to face him as he squatted down beside her, then composed her long legs in a new folded position as she extended out the two sections of the collapsible staff and told him where to grip them, then set about working on tinkering with some sort of tool that hummed a lot while she pressed it up against certain delicate components. Ranma looked down in fascination as he saw her making adjustments then asked, "What is that?"

"I call it a sonic screwdriver, Ranchan," Nabiki answered without taking her eyes off what she was doing, absently reaching for a headset that was carelessly placed upon a bench and slipping it around her head before flicking down a special magnifying lens as she added, "Detailed work like this is a lot more sensitive than you could imagine, but the results should be worth the effort, and the next time that Purge tries to chop through my staff he's going to be in for a world of hurt."

"That's...a good thing, right?" Ranma asked, earning a look from his iinazuke that was amused without implied condescension.

"I want to hold my own in the next fight, Ranchan," she answered, "I may not be Kasumi's equal in the Jedi arts, but I've got loads of potential and I know I can help improve the odds if I'm better prepared to adapt to future surprises."

Ranma could not help studying Nabiki in silent appreciation of her innate beauty, taking stock of her lean and athletic build, to say nothing of the way she seemed to curve in all sorts of interesting places. For example...the way those unwinking eyes that framed her bosom jutted out at him...and the urge to reach out and fondle them like ripe fruit distracted him so much that he had a bit of trouble holding the shaft steady, unconsciously comparing their size to the more substantial build that he could boast about in his cursed form.

"Easy there, Tiger," Nabiki chuckled without looking up from what she was doing, "Keep thinking like that and I'm never going to get any work done. You're not the only one who's feeling tempted at the moment."

"Um...sorry about that," Ranma winced, thinking to himself that it was hard to get used to the fact that he was involved with two women who were both telepathic.

"Don't worry about it," Nabiki said, "If you had any secrets to hide from Kasumi and me, we'd figure it out between ourselves sooner or later. Just be glad we approve of the package, and you really don't need to be so nervous. We'll teach you how to erect better mental defenses...eventually."

"Oh...um...good," Ranma glanced down with an effort to avoid focusing upon her chest and found himself studying her bare feet instead, thinking of how he would like to stroke the sensitive nerves there...or to move up those legs towards her crotch...and suddenly he had difficulty sitting still as he felt a rebellious stirring in his own very male member.

In an effort to avoid having to focus upon his increasingly potent masculine urges he said, "So...you're really all right with the idea of the two of us...and Kasumi...?"

"What do you think, Mister?" Nabiki chuckled, "Okay...so the incest thing threw me for a while there, and the fact that we both got rooked into that first time together. I'm a big girl and I'm over it, and no way am I letting Oneechan call the shots on every encounter. But the truth is...I still love her, even more than I'd ever dreamed I could, so...I guess I'm in and we'll be calling it a threesome."

"Good," Ranma sighed, feeling enormous relief at her declaration, "I could never stand it if I had to choose between you two. You're both so...incredible..."

"Thanks," Nabiki flashed him a smile before returning to her work (and with that monocle over one eye she did appear rather odd while doing it), "We think you're pretty special too, Ranchan. Now...just hold it steady while I guide these two parts together...there! Done! Success...I am a genius!"

Ranma saw her fit the two sections of the staff together, then they clicked into a single component, and at once she depressed a button and caused the staff to collapse back into a single flash-light-sized unit.

"Wow," he said as he held it up for inspection, "Nice work...I can't even tell it was ever broken."

"I'll have to test it down in the dojo to make sure it's fully active," Nabiki smiled as she accepted her weapon back from her male lover, "But in the meantime...I'm glad you're here right now, Ranchan."

"Oh?" he asked as Nabiki pushed away from him and changed her sitting position so that she was turned to him in profile.

(This allowed him to get a better view of her tight fanny, and that started his thinking into other curious avenues...and more than ever his male member was protesting rebelliously against the restraint of his trousers)

"Here we are," Nabiki said as she turned back to him, behaving as if she had not picked up the trail of his thoughts and where they were leading. Instead she handed him a black-handled object then said, "This is for you...I made it special for your hands, Saotome-kun. Mistress Trieste felt it was time you had one of your own..."

Ranma was amazed at holding a newly crafted lightsaber and studied it at length before seeing the button that activated the blade, and without pausing to think about it he clicked it on...and nearly jumped when a beam of light sprang to light before him.

It was a meter long and had a slightly crimson glow to it...yet pink-rose tinged rather than the angry blaze of Purge's own lightsaber. It felt incredibly light in the hand, yet when he moved it there was a sense of inertia and resistance. He was careful not to point it at anything as he gave it a few experimental passes, then deactivated the weapon and studied the handle in greater detail.

"The beam is a reflection of how advanced you are in the Jedi arts," Nabiki informed him, "Red implies that you need to work a bit at refining your Force training, while Blue is considered Adept class, and Green reflects a full Master. Purple, like Shampoo's, is for spiritually advanced Jedi, no doubt a reflection of her training to be a Healer..."

"Wow," Ranma said as he took firm grip over the handle then said, "I'll try and be worthy...but why do the colors of the blade matter?"

"Think of it like a Dopler shift," Nabiki explained, only to see his blank look of non-comprehension, so she sighed and said, "Light tends to move in waves that lengthen or shorten depending on their direction. It's like the glow of a flame...red is for a relatively low or inefficient burning of gasses, while blue is far more efficient and much hotter than red. With stars you can see those moving away from us as shifting towards the red end of the spectrum, while blue implies that objects are moving towards us. Since light speed is a universal constant it might all appear the same were it not for the fact that the universe is expanding, and in a few billion years or so the stars will spread out so far that things will tend to grow dark as things move further and further apart into eventual heat death."

"That's awful," Ranma said, imagining a cosmos filled with infinite darkness.

"That's the Second Law of Thermodynamics," Nabiki said as she leaned closer, "The farther things move away the colder they get...until you get to a destiny of utter loneliness and desolation. That's the fate of all matter...but it's not due to happen for a very, very long time, Ranchan."

"Oh?" Ranma asked, suddenly aware that her face was hovering only a few inches from his own.

"That's why we need to cling to each other for warmth and fellowship," she informed him, and her breath caressed his skin making him wonder if she had been eating something minty lately since his nostrils detected something aromatic in the air between them, "Only when things come together do they seem real to one another...and only then can...interesting possibilities and combination be created."

"Ah...you don't say?" Ranma blinked, leaning backwards as he found Nabiki was suddenly hovering so close that her breasts were dangling in easy reach before him...

All at once a mental voice spoke into their minds, **That's enough teasing, Nabiki-chan. You need to clean yourselves up if you want to go anywhere with those thoughts that you are projecting so loudly.**

Nabiki glanced to the side and said, "All right, I get the point, Oneechan. I'll clean up, then I'll screw him...that is, if those priorities meet with your approval, Ranchan?"

Unable to speak for fear of betraying himself further, Ranma could only nod assent to that, thinking to himself that he would have a difficult time controlling his urges until she was ready...

**Not in the furo,** Kasumi chided, **If you wish to do it together, you will need to use the upstairs showers.**

"Only if you join us, Oneechan," Nabiki leered, no longer inhibited from including her older sister in any sexual hanky-panky.

**I think I will...but in a bit. First you clean up, then I'll see about sharing the bar-soap.**

"I'm dead," Ranma murmured aloud, imagining himself caught up once again within a three-way sandwich as both sisters went at him with wholehearted abandon...a concept that he found at once daunting and strongly appealing...

Kasumi could not help chuckling aloud as she mentally viewed the drift of thoughts in her two iinazuke, then she turned back towards her mother and said, "If you will excuse me, I believe I am being urged to fulfill my other duties."

"Go ahead and have fun, dear," Kimiko said as she turned back to Nodoka and murmured, "As you can see, my daughters are very taken with your manly son, and it's a wonder if they can even wait until they are formally married at the end of the semester."

"Yes," Nodoka agreed as she continued chopping cabbage, smiling to herself as she waited for the oldest Tendo sister to leave the kitchen before adding, "And...just between the two of us, Kimiko-chan, I'm hoping one or both of your daughters gives us grandkids shortly after they are married."

"I would count on it being either way...or possibly both," Kimiko said as she finished washing the onions then passed them along to her future "sister-in-law" and added in conspiratorial whisper, "Care to take bets which of my girls is the first one to get pregnant?"

"That would make for a very...interesting wager," Nodoka agreed as she continued to dice vegetables and add them to the nearby wok, "Which one do you favor?"

"That's the part I am having trouble with," Kimiko admitted, "They both seem so eager, and yet I know that Nabiki would prefer to complete her education first, and Kasumi wants to attain the rank of a full Jedi before settling down to raise a family. I wish I could say which one I'd wish to become a mother, though I think Kasumi is better suited for the role. Nabiki...she needs to mature a bit more before I think she is ready."

"Time enough for us to coach her along those lines," Nodoka mused as she set the wok over the fire then began to stir the meat and vegetables with a wooden implement, adding some soy sauce and sesame seed oil to further the flavor, "But both of your daughters will make fine wives for my Ranma. Why, they don't even seem to mind the burden of his curse...if burden it actually is since it seems to have given him a greater appreciation of their gender."

Kimiko almost risked slicing her hand open as she paused in the act of cutting through a potato. She turned an incredulous look towards the woman beside her and said, "You...know?"

"About the curses which my husband very foolishly inflicted upon them both?" Nodoka smiled knowingly, "I had a rather...lengthy discussion with Genma shortly after that incident at the sporting arena, and it seems he had a lot that he was keeping from me out of some misguided fear over what I would do to him if the truth came up during our...discussion."

"And?" Kimiko asked.

"He is still breathing, is he not?" Nodoka said with a peacefully bland expression, "Even though we have been apart for close to ten years I know him well enough to sense when he is lying, but after watching young Kuonji and Hibiki transform...and that horrific creature they were fighting against...it only took one splash of water to convince me that my husband knew something that he wasn't telling."

"So he spilled his guts to you about the curses?" Kimiko reasoned.

"Rather he avoided having to spill his guts by confessing the truth to me...with the use of some creative sign work," Nodoka sagely noted, "And while I am rather annoyed upon learning of his antics, I am also well aware that Ranma is not the sort of boy who would let himself be turned effeminate regardless of any change in physical appearance. I took the liberty of spying on my son the other day and caught him in the act of transformation...yet even as I marveled upon discovering Ranko's true identity, I was taken at the way in which she vigorously stood up for someone who was in need of her assistance, and that neither one of her fianc es showed the least bit of surprise or abhorrence at her condition. That told me all that I wanted to know, and so I am prepared to forgive you all for dissembling around me and pretending as if I were some sort of fiend whom you needed to humor."

"Ah..." Kimiko said, "About that..."

"It is in the past, Kimiko-san," Nodoka touched the other woman's hand in a reassuring manner, "We are family and there is nothing to forgive. You did what you thought was best for my son...and he is indeed a Man among Men, as I have always wanted."

"Then...you'll tell Ranma that you know?" Kimiko asked.

"Not right away," Nodoka smiled as she turned back to tend to the wok, stirring the fried vegetables and meat into an excellent sukiyaki, "I'd rather see what lengths my son will go to in order to preserve his imagined secret. He really is quite something to see when he gets...creative. But the important thing is that your daughters accept him, and they are level headed girls who clearly know what they want and are not so easily swayed by simple charms and a manly profile. I am counting on them to help Ranma grow up into the sort of responsible young man that he will need to be if he is to carry on the legacy of both of our families. I am only amazed that there seems to be so little jealousy between your girls, that Kasumi and Nabiki can accept the presence of one another and work to share him."

"Well...it's not quite as...difficult as you may imagine," Kimiko began to say when she caught a stray thought that emanated from elsewhere within the compound. She turned away from chopping vegetables and said, "Would you excuse me for a moment, Nodoka-chan? I think I need to tend to the needs of my own co-wife."

"Whatever you say, my Sister," Nodoka said pleasantly, only to pause in mid-stir to blink her eyes and say, "Co-wife...?"

Kimiko was already out upon the porch and had slipped on a pair of sandals by the time the Saotome matriarch had said this, and then she padded out to where Trieste sat in full lotus within the garden, hovering in mid-air about a meter above the ground with her eyes fixed upon nothing as she became as one with her surroundings.

"You know, my love," Kimiko began as she regarded the Jedi Mistress, "You would be a lot more convincing at this if your thoughts were completely untroubled. Care to unburden yourself with me over what is the matter?"

Very slowly Trieste settled down, drifting towards one of the large boulders that lined the koi pond, then she came to fully rest her weight upon it and gradually unfolded her legs, her eyes taking on new life as her thoughts became more centered.

The Jedi Mistress turned to regard the Tendo matriarch and said, "Am I that transparent to you, Kim-chan?"

"After all the years we have known one another...yes," Kimiko replied, "So...what's bothering you this time? Ranma and the girls are getting along, Akane seems to have resolved her issues with Kodachi, and we no longer sense the hovering shadow of Darth Purge's presence."

"True," Trieste replied, "And Nodoka's...rather surprising revelation just now only adds to what ought to be a fully satisfying picture. The problem is...well...it is not that easy for me to frame my thoughts in words..."

Kimiko approached the other woman and leaned closer, "Try me."

Trieste glanced away and seemed unusually pensive before saying, "I should have died back there, Kimiko-chan...a part of me keeps saying that, and the rest of me...has difficulty believing that I am still here."

Kimiko straightened up with a start and said, "That's what's troubling you? The fact that we were almost slaughtered?"

"It was my carelessness that nearly doomed us all," Trieste said as she glanced down in self-reproof, "I should have sensed Purge's nearness, but...I allowed myself to become...concerned with other matters, and it nearly cost us all..."

"My love, you don't need to feel like you owe it to anyone that you survived a mistake that we were all guilty of making," Kimiko softly chided the Jedi, "Purge plotted his attack with cunning duplicity, and with all those people there, and the intense battle going on before us..."

"I know," Trieste sighed, "The rational part of me accepts that there was no way that I could have known that he was about to strike at us, but...it is hard to escape the dread of my own feelings. Not only my life but yours, Soun-chan and our daughters would have been lost were it not for Gosunkuji. So quickly were our lives nearly snuffed out...and the Force failed to warn me, and I can't help thinking...was it because of my personal feelings getting in the way of my ability to live within the moment?"

"Possibly," Kimiko conceded, "But the same was true of all of us, never forget, and no matter how sensitive we are, you're the one who keeps reminding us that the future is always in motion."

"Purge thought he knew the future," Trieste growled, "It's easier for the Dark side to sense possibilities and exploit them. A focused mind is as sharp as any other sort of weapon, and when he sensed the moment was right, what with all the distractions he placed about us to baffle and confuse my senses..."

"Do you honestly think it would make a difference if you were not so emotionally connected to our family?" Kimiko asked, "If you had upheld that Jedi command against forming attachments?"

"No," Trieste sighed, "I'm well past the point where I could set aside my emotions when it comes to our family, but that's why it matters so much to me that we never get placed in that sort of immanent danger ever again..."

"And how can you prevent danger from finding us?" Kimiko asked, adding in a sly voice, "Or an enemy such as Purge seeking once more to take the lives of our daughters?"

"Our?" Trieste blinked in surprise.

"Just a moment ago you said, 'our daughters,'" Kimiko informed the Jedi Mistress, "You used to think them as exclusively mine, yet now you've come to mentally adopt my girls as your own, and I find that I do not resent this."

"Ah..." Trieste blushed an uncharacteristic rosy coloration, "I suppose...after so many years living with them...that I have taken a...proprietary interest in their welfare. As their Sensei I should be aloof and objective...but in practice I find this...more difficult than you could imagine."

"Try me," Kimiko smiled, "You are like a second mother to my girls, and I know that they love you as dearly as I do. There is much about you that is to love, Tri-chan, and there is no shame in knowing that you are a part of our family...and always will be."

"I know," Trieste sighed, "Master Yoda would probably be laughing at my situation were he still here in spirit or body. I am the prisoner of my own resolution to refute the Jedi proscription against loving. I think I did try in the early days to maintain my objectivity and distance...but the more I came to know you and your daughters...and Soun-chan..."

"The more you became a part of our lives," Kimiko said, "And your wisdom touched us in places that we never imagined even existed."

"I think it was Kasumi who showed me the rightness of my decision to form an attachment with you all," Trieste remarked, "Her kindness and unquestioning acceptance of me as her teacher drew me to love her as though she were my own flesh and blood. I could not be prouder of the woman that she has become were she truly my own daughter, and now that she is embarking upon her evolution to full womanhood..."

"Do you regret teaching her that loving is not an obstacle to training?" Kimiko asked.

"Of course not," Trieste smiled, "Kasumi loves everyone and everything with an effortlessness and selflessness that I've always found remarkable, and I have been in awe of her kinship with the Force since the time she was a little girl, almost too old for training by the standards of the council. Her mind is a vast field of rich potential that she is only just beginning to learn how to tap into, and one day she will be a far greater Jedi Knight than I could ever be. I know that she will make an excellent wife and mother to young Ranma and his offspring, and with Nabiki at her side...they are the stronger for the melding."

"So why are you still troubled?" Kimiko asked, "Would it be such a crime to take pride in what you have helped to accomplish?"

"Maybe," Trieste regarded the other woman with a frank expression, "But some part of me still finds it strange that I am still here...that I am alive when I should have fallen in battle, a victim of Purge's evil."

"I think Mudge would forgive you for still breathing," Kimiko said, startling Trieste with her perception.

"You...know about him?" Trieste blandly stated, surprised at the depth of her co-wife's perceptions.

"You were projecting your memories back at the Arena," Kimiko informed her as she moved closer to the side of the other woman, "So tell me...why have you never mentioned him before? This first love of yours...the man who made you rethink your Jedi commitments?"

"Ah..." Trieste squirmed a bit under the level scrutiny of the other woman, "I...didn't think you would understand. He was not a man the way you think of one..."

"I disagree," Kimiko replied, "Despite being non-human he seems to very much have been a man in all the ways that truly mattered. Surely you found him so when you became his lover?"

"Ah..." for the second time in a day (more than she had done in a many years) the Jedi Mistress blushed crimson, the more so when Kimiko slipped an arm about her shoulders.

"My love," Kimiko said softly, "You don't need to feel as though you've cheated death and have no right to be here. Remember that it was ten years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer, and were it not for your intervention it would have been me who was nothing more than a memory. We are both here due to joint miracles, for which we must be thankful to the Kami."

Trieste looked up into the eyes of the other woman, "You are calling me a miracle?"

"You are from my perspective," Kimiko said, "Now...what say we seek Soun-chan and between us give him the satisfaction of our continued presence?"

"You make it sound so tempting," Trieste replied, only to wince slightly as she placed a hand over her belly.

So sensitive was Kimiko to the nervous system of her lover that she at once asked, "What is it? What is wrong...?"

"Nothing," Trieste replied, "Just cramps."

Kimiko's pleasant mood evaporated, to be replaced by a stern scowl as she said, "Tri-chan...I thought we both agreed that we would never hide secrets from each other..."

"I'm sorry," Trieste sheepishly replied, "It's just...you were mentioning miracles...and now I find myself with one, and I'm having trouble believing it."

Kimiko blinked, "I'm sorry...was that supposed to make sense?"

Trieste took a moment before blurting out, "I got the word just this morning from Tofu-sensei. The tests are in...and...I appear to be...pregnant."

It took a full minute for the word to register, then Kimiko blinked and said, "Pregnant?"

"Pregnant," Trieste repeated, "And before you say it, we both know who is probably the father, though how that could be still leaves me confounded since I ran some tests years ago and determined that it was...entirely unlikely that I could get pregnant by your husband. After all, in spite of the fact that we may look identical as a species, there is an infinite span of time and space that separates our two branches of the human family, and genetically speaking, we have a .38 difference in our genetic make-up, which may not sound like much but is enough that it ought to render us as two entirely different sub-species..."

"What are you saying?" Kimiko asked, still trying to wrap her mind around the question.

"That-technically-there is enough of a difference in our genetic codes that any attempt at a possible union is unlikely to be viable," Trieste replied, "And yet...I sense that the child within me will be healthy, and very strong in the ways of the Force...which doesn't sound too likely, but would make sense if you factored in another element in the equation?"

"Which is?" Kimiko asked.

"Gosunkuji," Kimiko answered, "What he did was more than reverse the flow of time...he altered the probability lines surrounding us all, and somehow made the bridge that would allow the seed of Soun-chan to find fertile soil in my own womb. Of course, with the vast sums of energy that the boy manipulated in order to achieve this, it could just as easily have been your child that is within me..."

"I...see..." Kimiko said, then all at once she impulsively hugged Trieste to her bosom and said, "Then it could be our baby? Or maybe the child of the three of us together?"

"I think so," Trieste remarked as she at once smiled up at the other woman, then allowed Kimiko to help draw her to her feet so that they could look each other in the eyes and feel the flow of emotions that were bonding the two of them together.

"So..." Kimiko said after allowing another minute to fully pass, "Want to tell Soun-chan the good news, that he's going to be a father?"

"Why keep him waiting?" Trieste grinned back, "I can't wait to see his expression..."

Elsewhere in the yard Soun felt a prickling along his spine and looked up from the game of shogi that he was playing with a Panda, seeing the two women looking towards him with matching expressions of playful mischief, and all at once some-without quite knowing the reason why-he found himself sweat dropping profusely.

In response to this the panda held up a sign which read, "I don't know what it is this time, but if I were you, I'd already be running."

"You don't know how fast those two can be when they get a good head start," Soun replied, rising to his feet and adding, "You will excuse me?"

The sign turned around and read, "Of course. Have fun, Tendo-kun."

But once his best friend was distracted by his women, Genma slipped away, seeking the opportunity of such a distraction to tend to his own long-delayed bit of business...

Gosunkuji said goodbye to his parents as he headed out the door of their house, grateful to be doing something as normal as a day of school that would be (hopefully) without interruptions. It was good to know that they were safe and that the Yakuza was no longer dogging his steps or keeping his family under observation. In fact life on the whole was going rather well what with his training in the Jedi arts and earning praise for the progress he was making in his martial arts studies. Having a friend like Saotome Ranma was an automatic guarantee against bullies and the like who might attempt to ambush or extort money from him, and the protection of the Tendo clan was an immunity against the other sorts of harrassments that used to be the bane of his existence.

In fact life felt pretty good when he thought about it, especially in light of the company he sometimes had in the form of a pretty young girl named Ryonami. She hung around with him and offered light and comfort to his once-lonely existence, and the more time he spent with her the better he felt about himself as a young man with prospects. Even as his knowledge of the Jedi arts continued to increase, Ryonami also kept him level headed and sane, which was a very good thing as he was begging to sense how much more there was to his learning besides simple precognition.

Of course he had a long way to go before he could earn the title of "Master Gosunkuji," but his feet were firmly planted on the way and he had every hope that he would progress according to the potential that Mistress Trieste read within him. He was only just beginning to comprehend what that might mean, and the struggles that were ahead of him as he sought to expand the limits of his awareness, but thought the path was likely strewn with risks and perils, the rewards promised much for the future, a future that was looking very bright indeed, provided that Gosunkuji could somehow avoid sticking his nose into any trouble.

No sooner did that thought cross his mind when he heard a familiar voice addressing him, "Where are you headed this early, Boy? School doesn't begin for another fifteen minutes."

"Huh?" Gosunkuji turned to the side and found Genma Saotome leaning against a wall, regarding him levelly as though he had been waiting there for quite some time, waiting for Gosunkuji.

"Ah...well...I like to be early," Gosunkuji said, "And Ryo-chan...well..."

"I see," light gleamed off the glasses of the older man as he straightened out then said, "Trust me on this, Boy, a good woman is something to hold onto...but even more important is the path he can set for himself as a future provider with prospects and marketable potential."

"Eh?" Gosunkuji asked, wondering what Ranma's father meant by that remark, and why Genma seemed so strangely interested in Gosunkuji in the first place.

"I see a lot of myself in you, lad," Genma remarked as he gave Gosunkuji a lookover, "You're not much to look at now, but with the training Ranma's been giving you...I think you'll even surprise yourself over time, and before you know it you could well make a halfway decent martial artist."

"Me?" Gosunkuji asked, trying to imagine the heavyset man in front of him as a young and scrawny kid, and failing rather badly.

"I wasn't always what I am now, Boy," Genma explained, "I had a brother once who was the star in the family, but he left his duties in my hands, and I was the one who fell into the Master's harsh training. I had to learn to be tough and strong, and to master my own fate, though the training was...arduous to say the very least. But don't sell yourself short now just because you've got a lot more territory to cover than other young men your age."

"But sir," Gosunkuji said, "I was given to understand that my abilities are mental, not physical."

"A strong mind begins with a strong body, like a firm foundation supporting a house," Genma gave the young man an almost comradely expression, "And I could tell you quite a bit about how a house relates to the human body. My boy has got you started in your training, but you could use some advanced lessons from a real expert, and since I'm the one who trained Ranma..."

"Sir?" Gosunkuji blinked, "Are you...offering to help teach me?"

"I thinking of giving you a few pointers, yes," Genma replied as he looked Gosunkuji firmly in the eye, "After all, you save the life of my best friend and his entire family, including my boy's future brides, and I owe you a debt of giri. The boy doesn't have to know about this, though, since he's soft in some ways and wouldn't have the heart to give you the sort of treatment that could turn you into a real he-man."

"Sir...I don't understand," Gosunkuji responded, "What training is that...and...what do you expect from me in return?"

"I'm hurt that you ask, Boy," Genma replied without sounding all that offended, "But it's good to know that you're sharp enough to ask such a question. In truth I think we could do some business together, just you and I between us, in exchange for the lessons that could improve your health and general toughness."

"Such as?" Gosunkuji replied, finding it oddly comforting to at least know that the Saotome elder had an ulterior motive since total selflessness tended to make him feel suspicious.

Genma smiled and said, "What do you know about horses?"

Gosunkuji's already overlarge eyes widened appreciatively at that remark, only to narrow again as he slowly nodded, seeing instantly that he and Genma might well be able to come to a suitable...arrangement...

"Has she gone at last?"

"Yes, young Master Kuno," Sasuke replied, "Your sister and her fianc e are on their way to school even now to register Mistress Kodachi for attendance at Furinkan High School."

"Fianc e," Kuno scoffed, "My father must be totally unhinged if he things it a suitable arrangement to bond my sister to that...hentai. It surprises me that Kodachi would go along with such a thing, considering how that disgrace to the honorable Tendo name took advantage of her innocence...but then again, Kodachi has been a bit...high spirited of late..."

"Yes Master," Sasuke sweat-dropped, thinking what an understatement that was in regards to his young Mistress, "But I heard your father remark that he is hopeful that the two of them will somehow temper their mutual...excesses."

"Excesses?" Kuno snapped, "Get out of here, and tell my mother that I will be late for dinner. I must complete my training if I am to confront Tendo Kasumi once again and explain to her how I regard it disreputable for our younger sisters to marry."

"As you wish, young Master Kuno," Sasuke replied before withdrawing, leaving Tatewaki to his morning Keno practice, the one he always faithfully completed prior to heading out for the limousine that would spirit him to Furinkan with time enough to utter his latest matrimonial challenge.

Faithful house retainer that he was, however, Sasuke could not help a disloyal thought escaping him as he rated his young master's chances to be slight in breaking up the impending marriage of Kasumi to the formidable Saotome Ranma. His most recent spying mission had given ample testament to the fact that the two elder sisters had formed a rather unique bond with their future husband, and that they had already consummated their vows several times over...a fact that he lacked the courage to inform his young master...

Tatewaki, meanwhile, prepared himself for his latest thrust, then with a single pass of his wooden Bokken he slashed the air between himself and a practice dummy that was curiously dressed in a Chinese style get-up, complete with black haired wig that bore a distinctive pig-tail. His moves were easy and seemingly unhurried, yet with three passes in the air he called forth such a blast of compressed air that the target all but disintegrated before the eyes of the young Kendo master.

"Just you wait, Saotome Ranma," Kuno softly vowed, "One day very soon we will have an accounting, you and I...and then...beware the wrath of Tatewaki Kuno..."

**How very resolute you are.**

"Eh?" Kuno whirled around and sought the source of those words, but nothing met his eyes so he declared, "Show yourself, Miscreant! Who dares approach me unannounced?"

**I dare,** the voice replied, **And I am telling you that your current level of training is insufficient to pose a suitable challenge for your intended opponent.**

"Who are you?" Kuno demanded, his eyes darting back and forth, only to widen as he saw a shadowy figure take shape in the very air before him.

**I am me,** the towering figure replied, **Surely you remember me? We met some time ago, and I made you an offer.**

"I know of you," Kuno frowned, thrusting his bokken forward only to see it flow through the figure as if passing through a shadow, "But what trickery is this? Are you nothing more than a projection?"

**I am what my enemies have made me to be,** Darth Purge replied, **My body is trapped and I cannot free myself from the prison in which I am encased, but still my mind has always been my strongest weapon...**

"You are no more than a shadow then?" Kuno asked, raising his sword and keeping it at the ready.

**A shadow to some,** Purge replied, **But a nightmare for others. And tell me, young sir...do you approve of the way things are, with the Tendo siblings engaged to marry people whom you and I do not approve of?**

Kuno scowled as he regarded the fearsome lizard man, "And what is it to you who the sisters marry?"

**I have a great deal to say, and much that I can teach you that will help you in your endeavor of winning the fair Kasumi away from her current boyfriend,** Purge remarked with a sardonic grin, **Are you interested in hearing my proposal?**

For an instant Tatewaki Kuno was vexed with an odd foreboding, perceiving that he was at some manner of a crossroads where the slightest misstep could lead him down a path that was dark and fraught with treacherous peril. But still the samurai within in rallied and he faced the apparition resolutely, speaking the words that would determine the course of his future, "I will hear what you have to say...but I make no promises beyond this."

**Good,** Purge smiled, sensing an opening, and with no further preamble began his pitch with which to win over his newest (and most promising) apprentice...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Centennial Lightsaber Battles: shadowmane

This concludes the current cycle of the Jedi Kasumi series, but not the end to the series itself as I am rather fond of these versions of the familiar characters of the Ranma cast. I'm leaving things at a high point with everyone getting adjusted to this transition point in their lives, but when matters resume you can count on long-term plot elements being continued as Kasumi coaches Ranma and Nabiki in the ways of the Force, and the impending challenges who are lining up in the background...not least of which include Happosai and a much improved Kuno (though whether or not he is a Sith Lord in training I leave open to the future). Be there!

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